Time
by Crystal di Angelo
Summary: Fifth part of the Salty Ice Crystals series. The Avengers are separated-Thor, Tony, Bruce, Steve and Loki start on the journey to find the Norns, persuade the middle sister Vervandi, and get the youngest sister Skuld will send them back in exchange for a few drops of Chitauri poison. And Asgard is in danger of war.
1. Navigating Nothing

_**Response to reviews (from the last chapter in my last story in Salty Ice Crystals, Inquiries and Misgivings):**_

_**Camitake: Why, thank you!**_

_**Gammawidow67: I can't say I agree with you, with all Loki has gone through, but in a way it really looks too much like the rebellious attitude all teens have.**_

_**Justme (Guest): Your review almost made me snort with laughter too. XD And concerning Loki's age, the only theory I've heard so far is seventeen and plus yours, twenty two. Oh well. ***__**shrugs**__*** **_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter One: Navigating Nothing_

* * *

"Tony!" Loki exclaimed in exasperation. The all too familiar sensation of being suffocated as they descended into the darkness was wearing thin on his nerves. Luckily this time they were treading on one of the thinner branches and had a faint silvery glow to guide them. "Stop poking around! You might fall!"

Tony grinned at the comment. "Ooh, you're worried for me?" he put on a high voice as he peeked over the edge and nearly fell over and the sheer sight of the overwhelming darkness. "How touching." He put a hand to his arc reactor.

"Tony!" Steve reprimanded him. "I'm sure you want to live to one hundred and die at home, not here. Besides, if you fall, you could meet what Loki met."

"But this is a great opportunity for Science!" Tony protested. "Right, Science Bro?"

Bruce smiled, though he didn't defend Tony. "We need your brilliant mind to deduct and analyze the data, Tony. Stay back."

"You will do well to heed the words of the good Doctor, Friend Stark." Thor boomed. "Other than Loki, none have been known to return from the darkest depths of the Void. And Loki has not returned unscathed."

"Which is the reason we are here now." Steve said sternly as Loki looked down, not meeting their eyes.

The portal closed without a sound behind them, and Clint made his report to SHIELD via a secure phone. Natasha proceeded to burn all of the lab equipment. If any of this leaked out, any scientist with harmful intentions could do a lot of harm with this. However, this also meant that Steve, Bruce, Tony, Thor and Loki were stranded out there now. No one would be able to help them.

Their hope of getting back lies on Skuld, for her to take them back when she rides to any of the realms that is currently at war.

Natasha wasn't sure whether it was good or bad news when Asgard was the most likely destination.

* * *

"What are we going to do if we don't get there before our food runs out?" Steve asked over dinner, while munching on the beef jerky Stark had brought along. "I don't see anything around here except a never ending path and branches all around. Branches but no fruit."

Thor was eating half his usual amount today, and Bruce guessed he had already thought of the problem earlier, and hence his reduced appetite. Loki didn't eat anything, just watched and gathering warmth from the crude fire they had managed to build with a few glowing twigs here and there. Tony had protested strongly on burning those, but apparently the atmosphere around there was enough to distract him. Bruce had to admit that he was curious too on how the oxygen was formed here and whether there would be oxygen when they were further down their path. The gravity also intrigued him too-they would be floating for ten seconds and then suddenly they would be 10 kg heavier than they were on Earth.

"I do not know, Friend Stark. I have never pursued my studies in these fields. Even if I did, the records we have in Asgard's library are scarce on this place, for many have entered-"

"-and few return alive." Loki said, gazing into the nothingness beyond their branch, targeting the other faint silver glows snaking their way across the realms. Steve noted worryingly that despite he hadn't eaten or drank anything for two days, he always had something to throw up. It was either the strange blue liquid flecked with blood, or whatever he had eaten before he started to starve himself. The God of Mischief was degrading, but despite Thor's fussing and protests, Stark's teasing or Bruce's facts, he still insisted on walking by himself, unwilling to be carried like some maiden.

"I do not have much knowledge on the subject either, and I have been too busy on my last visit here to learn much." Loki elaborated.

Steve polished off the last of his beef jerky and stretched with a sigh. There was no way to measure time here, but judging from how his eyelids were drooping, it was way past bedtime. "We should all grab some sleep. One of us needs to stand on guard. This place is too desolate for my liking."

Tony got the vote of honor to have the first watch. Loki insisted that he help out too, but the rest of them silently agreed that they won't wake Loki unless absolutely necessary. The poor guy looked totally wrung out after three coughing attacks which lasted ten minutes each, and resulted in Loki being unable to breathe and panicking, with blood splattered all over the ground, five more vomiting fits and one fainting fit. Tony couldn't resist a light jab or two at his pride, but a stern look from Steve and a reproachful glare from Bruce and Thor shut him up.

The night was freezing, and Tony's teeth began to chatter before long, even with the extra blankets Steve brought in his backpack. How nice it would feel to just curl up on himself for extra warmth…

Tony did just that, and eventually fell asleep.

The next day came with a very annoyed Steve and a bemused Thor. Bruce and Loki were still sleeping when Steve woke Tony.

"What _were_ you thinking?" Steve hissed as soon as Tony opened his eyes blearily. "You didn't wake any of us to take the second watch! If you were tired, just say so. Don't fall asleep on your watch without anyone else to take your place! Who knows what could have happened while there was no one awake to watch our backs?"

Steve would have continued ranting if not for Thor smashing the compass they'd brought on a nearby jutting rock at that precise time. Tony mouthed a 'Thank You' to the puzzled God of Thunder.

"Tell me, Friend Stark, what is this abomination? I cannot get it to function!"

Bruce had been woken by the continued smashing, and was folding his blankets, yawning. "That's a compass, Thor. I don't think it can function here since the electromagnetic field here is different from Earth's and that's what it's built for."

Thor was even more confused by the scientific terms Bruce was using and tossed the compass to one side, where Loki's pale hand snaked out from under his blankets and snatched it. He sat upright with some effort, the blanket still wrapped around him, twiddling and fiddling with the compass in an attempt to understand how it worked.

"You won't learn anything from it here. This isn't how it's supposed to work, Rudolph." Tony snatched the compass away from Loki's hands and flung it over to another path.

Two things happened at the same time. Either Loki was clutching the compass too hard or Tony used too much force when yanking it away from the curious dark haired prince, when the object was pulled away, Loki's body went with the force and he fell onto the ground, not hard enough to crack his head, but definitely hard enough to leave a lump. The alarming thing was, Loki didn't get up.

The second thing was a mystery. By the way Tony had thrown it, even if he was no professional, it should have soared in an arc before falling down. But the black, yawning nothingness sucked it right in, almost as if it was a magnet and the compass was the metal. They gawped for a moment before rushing to attend to Loki.

Thor gently turned a very blue Loki over. "Brother, are you well?"

Loki didn't answer, just emptied his stomach onto the hard rock floor. Then, gasping for air and choking on his own saliva, he struggled to sit upright, teeth chattering and wrapping the blanket around himself even tightly, if that was even possible.

"Loki?" Steve asked in a tone he might employ with a lost kitten.

Tony was less tactful. "Why are you _blue_? Are you reenacting Sully or something?"

"Tony!" All of them scolded, except for Loki, who looked down at his hands, and gave a soft, "Oh."

"Brother?" Thor asked, worried. Then he rounded on Tony. "What is this Sully you speak of?"

Tony held up both hands, nearly backing off the edge of the narrow path. "Whoa, chill. Sully's a character in Monster. You know, Monster, a film. A film, big guy, is a story told with moving pictures in a box. Sully has blue fur all over his body. Geez, even Cap Popsicles here knows more than you."

"Popsicles?" Thor was even confused. "Are they related to Pop Tarts?"

"I'll buy you some when we get back, though I suspect Loki will like them more." Bruce promised, shooting a death glare at Tony, who seemed completely oblivious. Of all the references he could have used, why use the one from a movie called Monster when the guy he was referring to here had serious self esteem issues believing that himself was a monster?

Loki didn't seem to have heard, though. He was more focused on trying to cover himself up completely, leaving no inch of skin bare. Bruce didn't know whether it was because of the cold they couldn't feel or just because of his skin. Good god, Bruce dearly hoped it wasn't the latter.

"Are you cold?" Steve was already asking.

Loki looked torn between nodding and shaking his head, and Bruce wanted to scream. How would he like to Hulk Out on the entirety of Asgard and tell them to teach their children that it's _okay_ to admit weakness, that everyone is weak and no one is perfect.

Finally, Loki just nodded, and Thor immediately ripped off his red satin cape with his bare hands, handing it over to his baby brother. Loki didn't even hesitate before wrapping it around himself like a cloak, though he still shivered a little even after he was wrapped snugly in Thor's cape and the blanket.

"We should go." Steve finally said, as the rational one. No one objected, though Tony did grumble a bit at not being able to sleep longer.

Thor was supporting Loki, who had reluctantly admitted that he needed help walking, and that the poison was making him feel cold like he had never felt before. If it was enough to make him unconsciously revert back to his Jotun form, then it surely must be bad. Thor supported Loki when he swayed or faltered, sweat beading on Loki's brow despite the constant shivering.

It wasn't long before they came to a place that was practically ten times Sahara desert, both in size and in temperature. It only made it worse for Loki. The sand burned his feet, even through his boots, and by the end of the day he finally agreed for Thor to carry him.

At night, the temperature dropped so drastically that despite having nothing to trigger it, Loki vomited again, but this time it was just a colorless substance flecked with blue and red. It froze before it even sunk into the sand.

Tony had already given in to the cold and aside from having three thermal blankets piled on himself, he was snuggling into Thor's side too, claiming that Thor was as warm as any hot water bottle. Bruce did the same, though he went without the snuggling. Even Steve, with his super-soldier genes, was feeling the effects of it but still graciously declined the offer of three blankets just like the others, instead offering the spare blanket to Loki, who was shivering worse than ever. Loki accepted it gratefully.

During the middle of the night, when everyone was sleeping, Loki decided that he couldn't take it anymore, despite four thermal blankets and one satin cape. Curling in on himself the best he could, he snuggled into Thor's side, taking a leaf out of Tony's book. He supposed it won't hurt, since it was likely that the cold or heat would wake him before the others and he could shift positions before they could find out.

When he was properly settled down and already drifting off, Thor smiled in his sleep.

Ten minutes later, when only the sound of snores could be heard, there was a subtle click of a camera, and Tony's footsteps pit pattering back towards his original position.

Another twenty minutes later, Steve and Bruce shared conspiring smiles.

Moments later, a second camera click was heard, and thus another cute photo of a multi billionaire, a mighty warrior and an ex villain cuddling together was stored in the photo bank.


	2. The Fires of Muspelheim

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**Justme (Guest): Whoa, thanks! I really wanted to insert humor into this story as much as possible, so if I can make someone snort/laugh/giggle/whatever, it's considered a personal achievement! Thank you! (PS: A sword named 'Bonnie' ?! Only Jack.)**_

_**Justme (Guest) (Second review): Well, I received your first review in my email, so no worries. The trilogy of the series you recommended? Yeah, I finished that two weeks ago. IT WAS AMAZING. I'm following the last story of the trilogy now, and I see that you review really frequently. **_

_**TakadaEmo: Thanks for taking the time to review! I think humor is important when writing fanfiction so I insert as much of it in as I can. And Loki isn't recovering, he's just getting better at hiding it. But not when it worsens in this story, though. And yes, I do read Percy Jackson. It was because of that fandom that I first started reading fanfiction, then writing it. Check my profile out and you will see a few Percy Jackson stories there too. **_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals _

_Time_

_Chapter 2: The Fires of Muspelheim _

* * *

"Hot hot hot hot HOT!" Tony yelped as soon as the sun rose the next day, shooting out of his blankets like he had a rocket attached to his pants. But when one looked closer, they would notice smoke rising from the back of his pants, so technically, his pants _were_ on fire. He patted it out with his hands frantically, still yelping in an undignified high voice.

Bruce climbed out of the blankets more slowly, wincing with every movement. He was lucky that the Other Guy hadn't made an appearance yet due to the burns on his body. His shirt rubbed on them uncomfortably, and Bruce bit his lip.

Steve reacted more calmly, flinging the blankets off him, stretching and yawning just like on any normal day. The only reaction he showed to the heat was the glistening sheen of sweat on his body.

Thor didn't even seem _fazed_ by it. He bounded up, joyful as usual, and greeted them with a cheery, "Good morning, my good friends! Let us have new hope with the rising of a new day!"

Loki didn't even move from his spot. He just lay there, stiff and pale.

"Thor. What, exactly, is the HELL?!" Tony yelled, as the fire finally went out but left him with no pants and a pair of Iron Man boxers.

Bruce snickered and Steve looked mollified.

Tony looked down.

"Oh."

Luckily, he had spare pants, and was pulling them on as Thor answered, "Friend Stark, this is no Hel. In fact, this is better than I could have hoped for. We are on Muspelheim."

"Muspelheim?" Steve perked up. "I know that one!"

"Yes, do please give us a history lesson." Tony snarked under his breath.

Steve, being a super soldier, heard it, though the sarcasm was lost on him.

"Well," he began, clearing his throat. "Muspelheim is one of the Nine Realms. It is the realm of the Fire Giants and they are usually unaggressive if not provoked. They are wary towards other beings though. Their climate is hot and fiery. But, Thor, if we are on Muspelheim, why does this mean good news?"

Thor beamed so brightly that it could have outshone the sun on Muspelheim. "Captain, as you rightly say, Muspelheim is one of the Nine Realms. That means that we should be on a path through it, and we will be able to replenish our supplies here. And I am glad to be out of that dark and dreary place. Who knows what it might have done to Loki's fragile mind?"

Bruce remembered a small tidbit of information Thor had told them long ago. Well, what seemed like a long time ago.

"Thor…"

"What is it, good Doctor?"

"You did tell us that Loki's true heritage is from the Jotunn, known as Frost Giants, right?" Bruce lowered his voice so that Loki would not hear. Not that it looked like he was awake anyway, but just to be safe.

"Yes." Thor was confused. "What is the matter?"

Tony caught on as well. "Aren't _frost_ liable to melt under heat?"

Thor was even more confused. "Is it not common knowledge, my friends?"

Even Steve understood by now, and he wondered how Loki, a genius mastermind, could cope with Thor being so dense all along. Patiently, he tried to explain to the Thunder God.

"Look, Thor. This place is hot. Heat melts frost. Loki is a Frost Giant. This place can melt Loki. Loki is in danger."

Thor, upon hearing this, quickly bundled his precious and delicate little brother into a blanket, shielding him from the worst of the sun and quickly started power walking down the path.

"Hey, wait!" Tony called after him, nearly tripping over the blankets. "We haven't even packed yet!"

Steve was already moving. "Lend us a hand, Stark, and we might just be able to catch up."

It was sundown again, and the temperatures went down drastically. Loki hadn't woken up once, if you didn't count the feverish ramblings and the shivering. Tony had to donate another blanket to Loki if he wanted to share Thor's warmth that night. No wonder Loki sometimes described Thor as the sun. The guy really was hot. Both in figure and temperature.

Loki's skin had turned blue again to help him cope with the temperature, but he didn't notice it when he finally woke up for a short period from a nightmare that seemed to involve him being strangled and suffocated.

"Water." He croaked, voice hoarse. He was barely able to prop himself up on his elbows to receive the cup, and in the end Steve had to dribble it down Loki's throat bit by bit, Thor hovering anxiously by since his hands were too big and clumsy for such a delicate job, as Tony had so tactfully put it-not.

After he finished the water, he managed to hold it down for twenty minutes, a new record, before vomiting half of it. The cold seem to have done him good and his body absorbed the water faster because of the amount of liquid it had lost during the scorching day.

"That's good." Steve encouraged. "Do you want more?"

Loki shook his head weakly, now shivering despite the extra blankets. "Are we on Muspelheim?"

Bruce confirmed Loki's question and moved to drag a stethoscope out of his bag, ignoring Tony's wide eyes.

"We go on an inter-dimensional trip and need to stuff our bags full of food and water supplies and you bring _that_?" he said, gawking. He sighed when Bruce pulled out some IVs and a heart monitor too. "Never mind, Hermione, don't ask me how you fit those in there."

"I had Loki cast a spell on it similar to the one Hermione Granger cast on her beaded bag in Harry Potter 7." Bruce said, dragging the supplies over to Loki with Thor's help.

"Whoa, why don't I get one too?" Tony complained. Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"I asked nicely."

Steve grinned. "Ooh, burn."

"…"

Tony had enough shocks for the day. Now Captain America, commonly known as Captain Popsicle and Do Gooder, was actually using modern day slang? The sky must be falling.

"I'm going to sleep. Hopefully I'll wake up tomorrow morning and Cap is still as clueless as Thunder Boy here." Tony muttered, curling into his blankets, not even bothering to take off his jacket.

"I understood that reference!" Steve yelled excitedly.

Bruce couldn't help but smile. "Sure you did. The object of that is right beside us, after all."

And Thor just stood there, completely lost in their conversation while tending to Loki, who was laughing and coughing at the same time, almost choking but he didn't care, tears rolling down his cheeks in mirth.

Then he broke, and the tears of mirth turned into those of desperation and sadness. Thor noticed the difference first, and quit sending death glares at his fellow friends, kneeling down beside Loki.

"What is it, brother? Do not despair. We shall convince Vervandi to heal you."

Steve, being the most empathic out of the rest of them, knelt down beside Loki too, patting his shoulders and rubbing his shuddering back.

"It-it isn't that." Loki choked out. "We might be immortal-but we all know that-all of us-will die someday. But-I hate feeling so _helpless_. I require assistance for something as-mundane as-drinking." He coughed again, splattering blood onto Tony's blanket.

"Hey, that'll cost 140 dollars if I send them to the best dry cleaners in town!" Tony jibed half heartedly.

"Then don't." Steve snapped, not getting the joke this time. He wasn't in the mood to 'get' one either.

In the end, it was Bruce that kept his calm the best and handled the delicate situation.

"Look, Loki," he said, lifting Loki's head to look at him. "You're helpless. Face it. Accept it. I don't know what kind of fucked up moral values they teach you in Asgard-"

Here, Tony covered Thor's ears.

"-but on Midgard, it's normal for us to rely on each other. That's why we have friends and family. Those who don't rely on others become mentally disabled. I'm not joking, it's true. You can see any number of psychologists when we get back, Tony will pay, and they'll all tell you the same thing."

"Hey!" Tony squawked indignantly. "Just because I have money doesn't mean I pay for everything!"

Bruce ignored him. "Even your father cannot help himself sometimes. Why the Odin Sleep, then?"

"To recover his mighty strength." Thor answered, now that Tony had let go of his ears.

"And does he clean himself up and take care of himself during the, uh, Odin Sleep?" Bruce pressed.

"No. Mother does that most of the time." Thor answered, slowly realizing what the scientist was getting at to Loki.

Loki was listening with rapt attention now. "And Thor?"

"Brother, I do require help." It was a huge step for Thor to go from all high and mighty to admitting weakness, but if it would help his little brother, so be it. "I require your help to escape from foes my pride has angered, I need healers to heal me after I have been injured, that healer mostly being you, and so many others that I cannot name."

"See, Loki? There is a reason why villains always fail. That's because they think they don't need help, when in fact, they need it very much." Steve felt the need to share his own experience. "I wasn't always like this, you know. If not for a very kind scientist, I think I would be rotting away on the battlefields when the war was over."

"Well, if it weren't for some very good friends, the big guy would be rampaging through the cities right now." Bruce admitted sheepishly.

Loki tilted his head, trying to grasp the concept of needing help, one so familiar and yet so out of reach to his fogging mind.

Seeing that everyone (minus Loki) was looking at him expectantly now, Tony cleared his throat. "Um, yeah, needing help. Well, I can say that I got a boatload of daddy issues too, and if my friends didn't help me I would be out there still indirectly destroying cities with my tech. Oh, and did I mention a cave and a stupid guy who actually died for me? He helped me escaped, and paid for it with his life. If it weren't for them, well, yeah, I won't be standing here." Tony felt his voice hitch and silently prayed, not again, not again before he started tearing up.

Sigh. So much for the prayers.

"I'm gonna sleep." He mumbled, diving back into the covers, feeling sympathized looks on his back and wished that they wouldn't look at him like that. Yinsen definitely won't look at him like that.

"I think I understand now." Loki's quiet voice distracted them. "Now will you all have some sleep? I do not want you all staying awake on my account."

"Oh. Sure." Steve was the first one to go pit pattering away towards his sleeping bag. "Thor, take first watch. Wake me for the second. Bruce goes third. Don't disturb Tony. He has enough for one night." He cast a sideways glance at Loki, expecting him to protest at the lack of a chance to help out, but Loki knew his limits, it seemed, and did not protest.

Bruce tucked himself in comfortably, giving Loki one last pat.

Thor helped Loki to settle down in his bed comfortably, arranging the blankets around Loki like their mother would have done. He pressed a kiss to his brother's burning forehead and settled down beside him, eyes wary for any sign of danger and making sure that Loki slept.

Loki did sleep.

But not for long.

The first attack began as the sun rose.


	3. The Lonely Plains of Svartalfheim

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**Justme (Guest): Thanks for reviewing on almost every story in this series! And the attackers should be pretty obvious once you see the title of this chapter. Ehehe, I'm an avid Harry Potter reader too, but I haven't seen the movies yet. Not all of them, anyway.**_

_**CinqLuna: Thank you! My updates are a bit untimely, though. I just write when inspiration hits.**_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter 3: The Lonely Plains of Svartalfheim_

* * *

"Malekith." Thor growled, swinging his hammer, prepared to attack at the slightest sign of provocation. "Take your forces and leave us be. We mean you no harm."

Malekith smiled darkly. "You mean us no harm? Even after you invaded our once beautiful planet and laid waste to it? Even after you murdered almost our whole race? Even after we became no more than _monsters_ in the eyes of your children? I think not."

Loki winced, slowly sitting up. Those words hit a little too close to a nerve. His silver tongue felt rusty, but he still felt a need to try. "Malekith. If you attack us, if blood is spilt, it would only further jeopardize your position and reputation in the Nine Realms. Leave us, and we will speak kind of you. Leave us, and you may still yet have a chance at rebuilding your home."

Malekith hesitated. For a brief moment, it looked like he would heed Loki's words.

Then his mouth twisted into a snarl. "It is too late."

Malekith waved his hand, and the small but formidable army surged forward.

Steve immediately took charge, as was his instinct.

"Stark, attack them from the air. You _did_ bring your suit, right?"

"Course, Captain Obvious." Tony rolled his eyes under the newly snapped on faceplate. "Can't you see that I already have it on? And besides, do you really think that I'm that stupid to not bring my suit on an unknown dangerous quest with three probably crazy ladies at the end?"

"Do not speak of the Norns in such a disrespectful way!" Thor boomed, thunder crackling and hammer swinging.

"Um, Thor, distract Malekith from using his magic." Loki directed his attention away from Tony.

Thor gladly obliged. Steve told Bruce to stay by Loki, and Hulk out if needed. Steve himself took out as many soldiers as possible, all the while keeping a keen eye on his teammates. They were vastly outnumbered, but Steve was confident that they could pull through it. They'd faced something similar before, after all. Even if they were unfamiliar with the environment and were poorly equipped, Steve without his uniform and his only weapon being the shield, Tony with only one suit and no way to charge it except for Thor's lightning which could very well damage the Mark VII, and Loki being too weak to fight.

Not good odds at all. But they managed to push the enemy back, and Bruce didn't even Hulk out.

However, they didn't notice when the attack pushed them across the boundaries of Muspelheim and into the sands of Svartalfheim.

They _did_ notice when Malekith left a clone of himself to fight Thor and snuck up on Loki from behind, with another clone occupying Bruce and grabbed the startled god, holding a knife to his neck. Loki's first instinct was to teleport away, but a searing pain shot through his head and he clutched at it, and there was no struggle as Malekith lifted him up by the neck. "Cease your fighting now, Asgardian!" he snarled. "Your precious little brother is in my hands. One twitch out of line, and this clever little mischief maker will be dead."

Thor dropped his hammer immediately without checking. Tony froze in mid air, zooming in on the two figures at the side of the battle. Bruce was an alarming shade of green. Steve didn't pause. He couldn't, as the Dark Elves continued their assault on him mercilessly. Thor, at least, radiated such an aura that the Dark Elves didn't dare to go near him, even if he was weaponless now.

"I said," Malekith's eyes narrowed dangerously at Steve. "_Drop your weapons._" The knife pressed into Loki's blue neck, and the blankets fell away as Loki choked and struggled, revealing his Jotun heritage for all the world to see. Red droplets rolled out, glinting harshly against the ice blue skin.

Steve had no choice but to drop his shield. However, he _had_ learnt something from Tony and used his fists and kicks to defend himself. A loophole in the rules.

"Stop moving!" A glowing red net formed around Steve and tangled in it, Steve went down, quickly subdued by a couple of Dark Elves.

Tony was still frozen in the air. "JARVIS, please tell me what's the protocol for the enemy holding a vital ally? The one written by Patchy himself."

_Sir, if you are referring to Director Fury, the protocol is to follow along with their demands and strike when they least suspect it. However, I believe that does not apply to aliens with magic who can overhear what I am currently telling you. Or elves, it depends on what definition you would like._ JARVIS replied.

"Who is it that you are talking to, Anthony Stark?" Malekith jeered mockingly. "He is right, you know. And I would prefer the term Elves, thank you very much."

"In that case, I shall call you an alien then. Or an Orc? Hmm, fitting, since Orcs are actually elves turned ugly." Tony hummed thoughtfully, staying in the air in case Malekith wanted to strangle him. Judging from the look on his face, Malekith wanted to strangle him _and_ do Chinese torture on him. Maybe bring Tony back to Afghanistan and make him relieve the worst memories of his entire life.

"What is it that you are implying?" Malekith hissed, and raised his knife and brought it down. Thor winced and bellowed, "NO!"

The knife cut a deep gash through Loki's shoulder, and blood began to bleed freely. Loki gave a strangled gasp but otherwise remained silent.

"We kept our word! Do not harm Loki!" Steve shouted.

Malekith gave a harsh laugh. "And when did Asgard ever keep their word? I will kill their beloved, golden crown prince. I will mutilate their younger prince beyond what your puny mortal minds can conjure up. I will destroy the so called Avengers of Midgard, and Midgard will never forget. Of course, I will leave the patriotic one alive, as a reminder. He shall be sent back in ice once more, and his body shall bear the message. I will be the one to carve it into his body-"

Bruce couldn't take it anymore.

"HULK SMASH!" He roared, buttons popping off his shirt as it was ripped to shreds. Two buttons hit Dark Elves on the head, and such was the force that they flew that it gave each of the elves a concussion.

"HULK SMASH PUNY ELVES!" The Hulk roared, driving a fist into one of the unfortunate elves holding Steve and the elf smashed into three other elves behind them. The first one was killed on impact, whereas the others had the wind knocked out of them.

Malekith was stunned for a moment, but tried to reason with the Hulk. "Stop right there or your dear friend will be dead."

Tendrils of magic tried to wrap themselves around the green rage monster, but the Hulk tore through them like they were nothing. Malekith drove the knife into Loki's stomach before throwing the prone body down and fleeing for his life, signaling for his troops to retreat. His last effort at magic was to at least attempt to kidnap Steve, but the Hulk grabbed onto Steve and was dragged along for a few meters and Malekith decided that it wasn't worth it, and dismissed the binding runes with a flick of his hand and teleported his entire army away once they were off the path.

Thor hurried over to his brother, who seemed to have stopped breathing. His eyes were glassy and wide open, unseeing. The blood seeped into the torn fabric slowly. Loki did not move.

The Hulk freed Steve from the red net, tearing it to pieces. Steve thanked it profusely, and as if sensing that its work was done here, it shrank back into Bruce, who immediately fell into unconsciousness. Tony landed somewhere nearby, not wanting to go over and disturb the two brothers. The truth was, he didn't want to know what happened to Loki.

A tear trailed from Thor's cheek to drip onto Loki's blue skin. Woe would be the day when, if he were younger, told that he would be crying over a Jotun's death. But this was different. Jotunn, Thor realized, weren't as bloodthirsty as Asgard made them out to be. They only seemed that way because Asgard _wanted_ to see them that way. So that Asgard would not be looked down upon for committing slaughter upon a race that had feelings, that was beautiful in their own way and loved too. They didn't know that a Jotun could be cunning, or mischievous. They didn't know that it was a Jotun that had saved Asgard from many a war. Asgard did not know that Jotunn were capable of feeling unloved, capable of being adorable and clever.

So much they didn't know…

And if they ever realized it, they would realize it too late for his baby brother.

Thor crumpled. The mighty warrior, proud, boastful, golden crown prince of a glorious realm, knelt down in the shifting sands of Svartalfheim, and put his head on Loki's unmoving chest and started to cry.

Tony fell to his knees as well, the metal digging into the sand. He looked up to the heavens and cried behind the mask. JARVIS stayed silent. No consolations the AI could offer were what Tony Stark needed. Tony needed Loki to take in a breath, to sit up, to cough, to laugh, anything to indicate that a soul was still in that empty shell. And JARVIS could provide none of that.

Steve slowly laid the unconscious Bruce down in the sand, and took staggering steps away from them. He needed peace and quiet, to think, to accept the death of another soldier.

Thor howled his grief out to the world and pulled the dagger out. It was eerily beautiful for something to have ended such a wonderful life. The jewel encrusted hilt broke in half, and Thor flung it away, along with the ruby red blade, coated with Loki's blood.

Beneath him, Loki took a great, shuddering breath.

* * *

_**Sorry that this chapter is shorter than normal, but this felt like the right place to end it. Really, consider yourself lucky that I didn't end it at Loki being dead. ;) **_


	4. The Palace of Helheim

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**Pallyndrome: Thank you! I'm a fan of Loki angst too!**_

_**CinqLuna: Ahahaha thanks! It is seldom that readers are so understanding!**_

_**Justme (Guest): Thanks! Though I must admit it, when they said Malekith was an elf I was like: What?! I thought he was an Orc! Anyway, don't worry about being a late reviewer, but I admit that I missed your reviews. XD**_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter 4: The Palace of Helheim_

* * *

"_Father_!" Hela sighed. "Can you please refrain from dying _again_?"

Loki grinned sheepishly at his daughter as the skeleton guards released him. "Well, I thought that I should pay you a visit. But I shall heed your advice. I promise to be more careful from now on."

"You _always_ say the same thing." Hela grumbled. "Now how do you expect to find a loophole this time? The laws have tightened every time I let you out of my realm because they want me to stop upsetting the delicate balances of the universe and you keep finding loopholes. But I don't think that you can find a loophole this time. They made it pretty clear. _No soul shall be released from this realm, not even by the order of the Queen of Death._ What was the loophole last time, Father?"

"_No soul shall be released, not even by the order of the Queen of Death._" Loki recited. "I believe that they have not stated where the soul shall be released from."

"Ah, I remember now. The time before that?"

"_Souls should not be released._" Hela guffawed at that. "That's the biggest loophole I've ever seen."

"Yes." Loki agreed. "And before that there was no rule. It was just common sense that the dead should stay dead. But there's a loophole in this one too."

"Really?" Hela leaned forward curiously. "What is it? Really, Father, your ability to play with words amazes me. It is no wonder that you earned the title Silvertongue."

Loki smiled slightly. "Thank you. As my daughter, you should have inherited that too. Turn the words over, one by one."

Hela did as her father requested. After a few moments, her eyes lit up. "I get it, Father. But really, I don't think that next time you should die again. They will be sure to close this loophole too. Much as I love you, I do not want you to stay here until you have lived a full life."

Loki hugged his daughter tightly. "They did not limit the period of time."

"True." Hela agreed, returning the hug before rising from her throne. Now she was no longer Daddy's little girl, but a Queen that knew her duty. "Now. Do not return again or the consequences may be dire. They would love to get their hands on you for evading Death so many times. I would steal Idunn's apples for you if I could, but unfortunately I'm tied down to this realm. Go, Daddy."

Loki kissed his daughter's forehead. "I will miss you."

Hela gave him a fierce glare. "And don't use that as an excuse to come back again!"

Loki laughed. "I know, I know. But if this quest fails, I'll be seeing you soon again."

* * *

"No, brother, please…" Thor was continuing to sob. His armor was too thick for him to feel Loki's gentle breaths and he was too blinded by grief to notice anything.

It was Bruce, the most perceptive one, who first noticed that Thor was crushing Loki's body under him and if Thor wanted a complete burial for his brother, it would not do so for the body to be delivered back with broken bones and an inflated head. Gently, he tugged Thor away from his little brother, still wrapped tightly in his arms. Bruce had to work hard to pry Thor's arms away from Loki, when he noticed that Loki's body still had warmth. And his heart was beating.

"Tony, come here and help me!" He yelled after Thor proved himself to be shut off from the outside world.

"Whoa, Shrek, let him cuddle Reindeer Games for a little while longer. It isn't as if he would get another chance."

"He won't if he doesn't stop suffocating Loki right now!" Bruce snapped, raising his voice, hoping that he could reach Thor with those words. Loki was starting to twitch, and a low moan escaped his lips. Tony could only stare. "What-how-"

"Shut up and help."

"Brother…I have wronged you…oh, how have I wronged you…" Thor wept towards the sky, but froze as he felt a hand tangle itself in his blonde locks.

"Stupid…idiot…why does it take…for me to die…only when you would realize it?"

Thor remained frozen.

Tony finally succeeded in prying Loki from Thor's grip with Bruce's help and started to clean the wound, as Loki hissed and cursed in Old Norse, Ancient Greek, Latin, Chinese, what Thor identified as the language of Muspelheim, some languages which Thor, having never been adept in his studies, had never heard before, colorful Russian which would have made Natasha proud, Italian, even Malay, which Tony had only heard about remotely before.

When Bruce was finally satisfied that the antiseptic was coated thick enough, he took out a needle and specially made thread. "I'm going to stitch your wound now." He gave Loki a heads up.

"As long as it's not my lips." Loki muttered, catching his breath before dissolving into another fit of curses. He did keep still, though, to his credit.

"Okay, usually this is the part where it hurts least." Bruce told Loki, cutting off the thread and tying a neat little knot. "I'm going to put bandages around the wound. Tightly, to prevent other bleeding and to give them a chance to heal. No broken ribs?"

Loki pressed down on his ribcage. Feeling nothing shift, and no pain apart from the bruises, he shook his head.

"Okay. That's good. No other wounds that need treatment?"

Loki shook his head again, mouth struggling to catch up with his brain.

Tony looked skeptically at him. "You sure? You seem like the type to hide wounds just to prove that you're not weak."

The dark haired prince shook his head again, more vehemently this time. Just to be safe, Bruce checked Loki over again before wrapping the bandages tightly around his torso. Steve helped a little by applying gentle pressure onto the wound through the bandages.

At long last they stopped fussing over Loki, and finally settled down for what Tony called, "storytime".

"So. How did you get out of whatever place they keep the dead in? Because, seriously, you stopped breathing for like, five minutes, but then Thor was smothering you so I can't blame you." Tony asked, elbow on a pillow, propping his head up casually and stylishly, facing the sunset.

"Did you talk your way out with your Silver Tongue, brother?" Thor boomed as loudly as ever, now that he had his brother back and somehow managed to find two cans of beer that Tony had secretly brought to keep himself sane. He drank those in one gulp, claiming it to be celebrating, but Tony thought he was taking advantage of the situation. Not that he minded, now that Loki was alive.

Steve looked up from where he was preparing lunch from the rations they had found on the slain Dark Elves' bodies. "The myths…they say you have a daughter. Hel. She rules Helheim, the realm of death. Did she let you go?"

"You have myths about that?" Loki murmured, surprised.

Thor looked confused. "That was but a lie my brother wove to garner attention from Asgard, and I realize that we have been wrong in not giving him the attention he deserved, but Midgard fell for that?"

"That wasn't a lie." Loki growled.

"But brother-"

"Thor, stop." Bruce ordered. "Let Loki explain."

Loki's eyes still flashed dangerously, but Bruce managed to calm him down enough to tell his story without continuous jabs at Thor.

* * *

"_Father, please, spare Angrboda!" Loki pleaded, kneeling in front of Odin Allfather's throne. Loki, God of Mischief, Trickster, Silvertongue, Prince of Asgard and one of the top sorcerers in the Nine Realms, never knelt. And yet here he was. A frightened teenager of fifteen, fully facing the consequences of his actions._

_Beside him, Angrboda, close to giving birth and in chains, in her Jotun form, looked beseechingly at the Allfather. "King of Asgard. Release me and my children will forever be in debt to you. My kin-"_

"_Speak no more, monster!" The Allfather commanded. Angrboda quietened, letting no more than another whimper escape her lips as another contraction seized her. The children would be here soon._

"_Loki." Odin said, fixing his stern gaze on his youngest son. "You have lain with a Jotun woman, and therefore you must be punished. It will not be fitting if the news spreads. The throne will be threatened. In order to maintain our safety, no word of this shall escape our walls. Understand?"_

_Loki nodded quickly, knowing that his silver tongue will not be able to save himself and the woman he loved. And their children._

_Angrboda gave a small grunt, on her hands and knees now. She needed to push._

"_Nevertheless," Odin continued, and Loki looked up fearfully. "You must receive punishment. And punishing you will have no effect, since you know how to block out physical pain."_

_Loki's eyes widened. "No, Father, please, I beg of you, do not-"_

"_Silence!" Odin thundered, and Loki fell silent immediately. The room was quiet except for Angrboda's panting as she bore down hard. Loki could see a small bulge in her underwear. The first baby was crowning. He moved forward, wanting to help her, but Odin waved his hand, erecting a magic barrier between the prince and the now groaning Giantess._

_Loki jumped back as the magical barrier sent a wave of pain through him. "Father-"_

_Odin ignored his son. "Therefore, your mate and children shall suffer in your stead. You will watch them be punished, and bear the knowledge that you have brought this upon their heads."_

"_Father, NO!" Loki screamed. Loki rarely screamed. He should be calm and composed, mind working fast, silver tongue wagging, and would somehow worm out of the situation. "Father, please don't, no, no, no…"_

_Angrboda heard the news, but was determined to remain calm in the face of the situation, having already pulled off all fabric obscuring her private parts, uncaring of dignity anymore. She started to push the first baby out, and Loki could see that it had beautiful, wet and dark fur. His child. Their child. About to be punished just because…_

_Loki fell to his knees and slammed his head against the cool mosaic tiles with such force that it cracked. Loki did it over and over again, as his skull cracked and his head started to bleed, but never stopped. Odin watched on impassively. Angrboda was in too much pain to care as the wolf pup slipped out and she deftly bit the cord, tenderly ruffling her child's fur before the second baby started to make its entrance._

_The tiles were covered in Loki and Angrboda's blood. Loki didn't stop, not once. "Father. Please." He pleaded between breaths. "__**Please**__."_

_The King's eyes were cold, emotionless. He stepped down from the throne and picked up the pup by the scruff of its neck. His eyes were almost gentle as he looked at his grandchild and for a moment Loki had hope. But it was quickly dashed as Odin set his jaw, and drove a dagger through the muzzle of the child._

_Loki felt wetness on his cheeks and wiped it away. He didn't know when he had started crying, but apparently he was crying tears of blood. He looked away from Fenrir-somehow, he had unconsciously named his son that-and looked as the second child slithered out of Angrboda easily. It was a snake. Somehow, Loki wasn't even surprised anymore. Despite the easier birth, Angrboda was already about to faint. She couldn't keep in that position anymore and opted for lying on her back instead, not caring how much it hurt to press her spine into the cold floor which was now stained with the blood of father, child and mother. _

_Odin moved on to the small snake, and Loki couldn't take it anymore, lunging forward but again collided with the barrier. He fought to push through it, but his efforts were fruitless. He called upon his magic, but to his horror found that it was blocked. He threw daggers, but it rebounded back at him. _

_Odin opened a portal, and calmly cast a now writhing Jormungand down…down…down…into a place where Loki dimly realized was the seas of Midgard._

_Angrboda labored hard, as the last child was almost human. She panted, pushing the child hard even as Loki knew that she would not live. The toll it was taking on her body was too great._

_Odin waited no longer. As soon as the head of the child could be seen, he leaned down and yanked on the head, sliding the whole body out as Angrboda finally screamed as it burned. _

_A beautiful baby girl, eyes still closed, though a flutter of vivid green just like Loki's could be seen. Wispy raven black strands of her were on her head, and Hela was the most beautiful daughter one could ever hope for._

_Odin waved a hand over her, and Loki watched in horror as half of her began to shrivel and decay, leaving Hela with a body that was half dead, half alive. Angrboda slumped back, breathing heavily through her nostrils as she delivered the afterbirth. _

"_As for you, Frost Giant," Odin left Hela on the floor, near enough for Loki to pick her up and hush her as she started fussing._

"_For luring one of the Asgardian princes into your bed, and bearing three monstrous children that could pose as a threat to the Nine Realms, I, Odin Allfather, sentence you to death."_

_**Hela is no monster! **__Loki wanted to shout. __**Neither is Fenrir, nor Jormungand! They are **__**my**__** children!**_

_Odin drove the sword through Angrboda's body, and Loki clutched Hela even tighter. He would conquer every realm for her, even the realm of death. As long as his daughter could be accepted and acknowledged._

_His final decision was Helheim._

* * *

"Odin is a sick bastard." Tony spat.

"Be wary of how you talk of my father, friend Stark." Thor warned, thunder crackling dangerously.

"I don't care!" Tony growled. "And none of you believed him because Odin says otherwise?! Hell, he even had a daughter to show for it!"

Thor bowed his head in shame. "I assumed that it was an illusion Loki created. My brother is skilled in such arts."

Steve sighed. "Thor. Seriously. I don't even know what to say. This is all one big…"

"…fucked up mess?" Tony supplied helpfully.

Steve glared. "Language, Tony."

Tony sighed. "Fine, fine. Wait, Bruce looks like he's going to go all Jolly Green on us. Bruce, ya still in there? Cause if you Hulk out here, here isn't Asgard and that kinda just misses the point."

Bruce started taking deep breaths to calm himself. "Okay, I'm cool now. But can we just go to bed? I don't feel in the mood for more…A+ parenting."

Thor wasn't sure what to make of it, so he kept quiet and dragged Loki off to sleep beside him. Apparently he still felt the need to touch his little brother every once in a while just to reassure himself that Loki was still alive.

They would venture to the next realm tomorrow morning if they were to avoid Malekith's soldiers. They will have to face the unknown.

But for now…rest.

* * *

_**Was the birth okay? Did I write anything wrong? Is Odin too OOC? Is Angrboda that way? Sorry but I don't read the Marvel comics so…yeah. **_


	5. The Peace of Vanaheim

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**Pallyndrome: Thank you! I'm just kind of…extremely canon. XD**_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter 5: The Peace of Vanaheim_

* * *

They walked along the dark path between realms for two more days before finally coming upon Vanaheim, the next realm, apparently. Loki's wounds had healed, though he was still weak from the strange liquid he was now spurting out hourly.

"Are you well, brother?" Thor asked worriedly as Loki began yet another coughing fit while he was carried on Thor's back as Thor marched through the meadows that seemed so serene.

They had been able to replenish their supply of food and water from the morning dew, wheat and mushrooms that they could collect. Those weren't a worry anymore, and the days felt so comfortable to the rest of them that they felt they could just sit down and sleep there forever. It was just so…_peaceful_. Untroubled by wars and worries of the outside world.

"That's it!" Tony announced on the fifth day they were met with never ending peace and beautiful scenery. "I'm so retiring here when I get the chance!"

Bruce grinned. The Hulk had never felt so contented and wasn't clamoring every second of every minute to be released. He had the easiest time ever remaining in his old self.

Steve couldn't stop smiling. "_This_ is the right place. No pollution."

Thor wasn't happy with the pace they had been going at, slower and slower each day as the other Avengers became fascinated with the place. Loki had fell into a dead faint a few days prior, and only woke at random times, mostly to cough up more blood or the strange liquid.

At long last, the shimmering path carried them through a town.

* * *

People stared at the strange group. Tony had to admit, they made a strange sight. The crown prince of Asgard was carrying his wayward little brother, who looked as worse as one could get. And the Avengers weren't helping matters with their strange looks, equipment, accent, clothes and basically just everything about them. To top it all, no one could get close to the path without being shocked into the next realm. Of course, Tony was just kidding. The busybodies were just blasted into the next field.

…well, that was exaggerating too. They just yelped.

Okay, they didn't even make a noise, just jumped slightly.

Blame Tony's love for dramatics.

Anyway, people stared because they were untouchable and strange. Tony didn't care, just marched past them like he would with the paparazzi, waving and nodding at them all the way. They just stared even more.

"Good strangers." In the end, it was Thor who reassured them that they weren't completely crazy. Note the completely.

"We are only passing through, and do not panic because we do not come to declare war. We are seeking out the Norns so that time may be reversed on my brother to cure him. I would appreciate it if you could pass us some supplies. When we return, we will be sure that you will be greatly repaid. We are in your debt." Thor said, bowing as much as he could without dropping Loki.

Everyone on the street dropped whatever they had been holding in shock. The once proud prince of Asgard, Thor Thunderer, renowned for his pride and strength, was actually bowing to them for a few supplies. He could've threatened them, ordered them, or simply intimidated them, but instead he chose this way of humbling himself in front of them. The rumors were true. Thor Odinson _had_ changed during three days of his banishment.

"CERTAINLY, YOUR HIGHNESS!" They chorused, rushing back into the shop-houses and scavenging whatever there was. They wanted Thor to know that his politeness was appreciated, and giving him as much supplies as possible was the only way they could express it.

When the fifty overflowing baskets of food were carefully slid onto the path, Tony gawped, Bruce merely smiled, Steve looked shocked and Thor thanked them expressively, but said that they should keep some for themselves since they couldn't take so much on their journey anyway. They still ended up with two baskets each, minus Loki, who was obviously too weak to carry anything. They even offered a contraption similar to a wheelchair, except that it runs on magic and has way more cool features, which includes turning into the size of a bean when you don't need it, spouting flames or creating ice, regulating temperature and so many more that Tony's hands itched to get on it once Loki didn't need it anymore.

Loki was placed by gentle hands on it, and Loki, missing Thor's warmth, jolted awake at once. He blinked confusedly for a few seconds before the wheelchair, detecting changes in his body, offered him a bucket and Loki emptied his insides into it. Thor patted his back worriedly, then thanked the people of Vanaheim for their concern once again before starting on their journey again.

After that town, their journey was no longer the peaceful meadows, but instead forests. As usual, their path was devoid of trees or any living thing. But the fresh air seemed to do Loki some good, since on the second day they spent in the forest he remained coherent for longer than five minutes.

"Thor…" He whispered as he woke up in the middle of the night, finding himself limply on the floor next to Thor again. He felt miserable, he can't control any part of his body properly since it would only drop in exhaustion as soon as he lifted it. Hel, even saying Thor's name took a lot out of him. And it came out so softly that Loki was certain that Thor wouldn't hear it, since he slept like a dead log most of the time.

To his surprise, however, Thor's brain seemed to have registered Loki speaking as an event worth waking up for, and shot out of bed. "Aye, brother? How do you fare? Do you need anything?"

"Wa-water…" Loki croaked. He didn't care if he was going to vomit it up anyway afterwards, but his throat was parched after a few weeks without any moisture going down it. Thor handed him the small glass, and he downed it in one gulp, and immediately regretted it as his body apparently couldn't hold that much water at once, and expelled it immediately.

Thor patted Loki's back clumsily, as he was unsure of what to do with such a delicate body.

After Loki stopped, feeling much better, he looked at Thor again. "Where are we?"

Thor stopped. "You do not remember?"

Loki expelled a sigh through his nostrils. "I was out of it, remember?"

"Well, we are currently on Vanaheim…" Thor told Loki everything that had transpired, down to every single little detail so that Loki wouldn't feel left out when they would recount their stories while feasting, preferably on the 'shwawarma' that Tony Stark loved so.

By the time Thor had finished, Loki's eyes were drooping yet again even though it couldn't be that long since the night was still as cold and frigid as ever. Thor looked at his brother, wrapped in numerous blankets and looking so thin and pale, so small in such a massive wheelchair, compared to his size. A bony hand snaked out from under the blankets, wrapping itself around Thor's wrist. His long fingers were still enough to wrap around Thor's muscled wrist completely, and Thor winced as bone and skin dug into his flesh.

"Don't leave me again…"

The sun rose as Loki's slipped into another dead faint, fingers still locked tightly around Thor's wrist.

* * *

"_Loki! Where are you? Don't play your tricks anymore, Mother will be angry if she finds out that I lost you again! Come out! This isn't fun!" Eight year old Thor yelled, tearing through the bushes with such ferocity that one would have mistaken him for a wild bear. Even at such a young age, his strength was tremendous. Anyone could tell that he was going to grow into a great warrior._

_There was a muffled scream from the edge of the forest, and Thor's heart grew cold._

_It was Loki's voice._

"_Thor! Thoooooooooor! Help!"_

_Thor broke into a run, crashing into loose vines and nearly tripping over roots. They really shouldn't have come here. Sif had dared Thor to venture into the forest on the perimeter of the palace boundaries, and Loki, being four and newly introduced to his friends, naturally wished to stick with his brother. So he had come along, and a stray wolf that turned out to be some of Loki's attempts at illusions separated them._

_Queen Frigga would __**murder**__ him if anything happened to Loki._

_Thor hurtled into a clearing just in time to land on top of the very real, snarling wolf about to chomp on Loki's arm, which was already gripped between its teeth, bleeding heavily. Loki's eyes were wide, and his expression was contorted in pain. Tears were slipping from his eyes already, and as soon as the wolf let go of his shredded arm Loki collapsed on himself, cradling his arm, going into shock._

_Thor felt nothing but rage. How dare the wolf hurt his brother like that?! With a mighty roar, Thor slammed his fist into the wolf's muzzle. Making a sound that sounded somewhere between a howl and a yelp, the wolf backed away, eyeing its sudden attacker warily. Then seeing Thor raise his fist again menacingly, it chose the wise course-backing off, then finally turning tail and ran away as fast as it could._

"_Tho-Thor…" _

_Thor's rage dissipated into nothing. Rushing over towards his little brother, only half his age then, he cradled the four year old gently in his arms. "Shh, Loki. How's your arm?"_

"_It hurts…" He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Thor, stop it from hurting…"_

_Frowning, Thor tried to remember what his tutors had taught him to do when bitten by a wild animal. Dimly, he remembered that he was supposed to clean the wound so that…so that…dust doesn't get in? He wasn't sure, but he knew that the wound needed to be cleaned, and it was going to hurt a lot._

"_Loki, I'm going to look for some water, okay?" Thor said to his half conscious little brother. They were on the opposite side of the forest now, and it would take quite a while for the guards to reach them even if Heimdall alerted them as soon as he noticed that the two princes were in trouble._

_But Loki's hand shot out, surprisingly fast for someone injured so gravely and so young. "Don't leave me." He pleaded. "I don't wanna the big bad wolf to come back. Don't leave me again."_

"_Loki, we need water to wash dust out of your wound." Thor tried to explain to Loki something that he himself didn't understand very well. "Otherwise you might get sick. And Loki doesn't like being sick, does he?"_

_Loki scrunched up his nose, and Thor waited for him to loosen his grip. But it tightened instead, if that was even possible. "No leave. Want sick."_

_Thor half smiled before settling beside Loki and doing his best to keep him warm as the sun was setting. Loki still yelped whenever anything brushed his wound, and Thor was worried. Loki was starting to feel warmer than usual already and __**where were the damned guards?!**_

"_Thor?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Promise not to leave me? Ever again? So the big bad wolves don't get me?" Loki's voice sounded young in the darkness._

_Thor hugged Loki closer. "Course. I promise. Pinky promise."_

_Their fingers connected just as the first guard burst in on the clearing, shouting that he'd finally located the princes._

* * *

"Of course I won't leave you." Thor murmured to Loki as the first signs of activity could be heard from behind the two brothers. No doubt it would be Steve, since he was the earliest riser among the five of them. To Thor, everything was invisible but for his brother.

"A pinky promise is unbreakable."

"I promised."


	6. The Cold of Niffleheim

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**(Or lack of reviews) Justme (Guest): I miss you…**_

_**CinqLuna: Thanks! Glad to hear you liked the last chapter and Tony taking the words out of your mouth. **_

_**Justme (Guest): Wow yay! I missed you! And yes, I did read With Friends Like This. The revival thingy was actually inspired by that, though so that I won't seem like stealing credits, I tweaked Hela a little and added rules, so that it would be sure that they would have to do their best from keeping Loki from dying. Well, my father kept me from watching most of the Harry Potter movies because he states that there's violence. I've managed to watch 2 and 3 sneakily though. XD And all of my favorite characters died except for Draco Malfoy, so I must admit that I'm pretty fond of him. Do you have an account so you could PM me that Dramione list? Or review it here, I don't mind either way.**_

_**Sumi Anzu: Wow, that's a lot of reviews! Anyway, I plan to have them doing the Midgardian activities together with what's left of them when this is over. Yes, what's left of them. And yes, Odin's gonna be the jerk in this story, but I will try to humanize him as much as possible. Loki usually wins at long distance runs because he conserves the horse's strength. Thank you, I appreciate your comments!**_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter 6: The Cold of Niffleheim_

* * *

"Brr…first hot then cold?! Thor…" Tony whined. "I hate the Eight Realms. Officially. I'll even do the paperwork."

Bruce didn't say anything, but looked longingly at the heated wheelchair Loki sat in, covered in half of the blankets they had. The rest had been divided up among them, as Steve had insisted, to be fair. Thor got two blankets less, which were given to Bruce and Tony since out of the five of them, they were the least resistant to cold. Thor had his cape, for one, and second, he was Asgardian. That pretty much closed the argument.

What Tony could never understand was how the cold seemed to still get to Loki even with the wheelchair and under all those blankets. What little they could see of his skin was gradually turning blue in order to cope with the cold, and even halfway to his Frost Giant form, Loki still shivered. Thor took to pushing the wheelchair, even if it was automated, just to lend some of his warmth to Loki. Tony would complain, if it were not for the fact that his teeth were already chattering so hard that he was beyond speaking.

"Eight Realms, my friend?" Thor asked quizzically. "There are Nine-"

"Obviously, I still need a realm to stay in." Tony snapped. "And that happens to be Midgard, Earth, Arda, Middle Earth, the Spare Oom whatever you call it these days."

"The Spare Oom? Is that a new realm or-" Thor was stopped by Loki giving him a tired but fierce glare as a warning not to grind on Stark's frazzled nerves any longer.

"Narnia." Loki said shortly. "I found that on the Internet."

Thor wanted to ask what was the Internet and how it worked that a whole realm may be found on it, but decided against it as Loki leaned his head on Thor's hands, trying to garner some warmth. The bitter wind whipped their faces mercilessly, and Thor shivered a little.

"Reindeer Games knows about Narnia?" Tony asked incredulously. "I mean, he only had Internet access for about, what, a few days! Even with my self-designed super fast Wi-Fi access, there's no way that Loki can get to know that much things at once."

"That's not fair…" Steve mumbled. "He catches up on modern day technology in less than a week and I'm still clueless on how to operate a mic…micro…micron…"

"Microwave." Bruce reminded him.

"Ah, yes, the microwave. See, I can't even remember its name." Steve said miserably.

"That is quite all right, Steve." Bruce told him kindly, adjusting his blanket slightly so that it would not expose too much skin to the cold wind. There wasn't even snow, just low temperatures. Nothing seemed to live here, but then, it could be that the path lead them through the unhabitated places. "Look at Thor. Loki just has a higher IQ and better memory, plus he treats them gently and actually tries things out. He's flexible."

"One has to be if he wants to learn magic." Thor told them proudly, beaming at his baby brother, who gave a tired half smile in return while wiping away some blood from his nostrils. Thor, worried, reached down to check on Loki, all the while talking, "And Loki is one of the best sorcerers, if not the best, in the Nine Realms. It is only the matter of what his body is capable of. Otherwise, he might have the power to revive the dead, bend the Norns to his will or turn back time. Sadly, no amount of energy as strong as what was required could be found anywhere, not even in Friend Stark's arc reactor. I doubt that the Tesseract could supply even half of what was required."

Loki nudged Thor a little, and the crown prince immediately stopped his fussing. "What is it, brother?"

"A quarter." Loki's voice was barely a whisper.

"Not even a quarter, friend Stark." Thor repeated solemnly, returning to cleaning Loki's nosebleed, which still hadn't stopped, while pinching the bridge of Loki's nose. Loki tilted his head backwards, feeling suddenly dizzy and nauseous. Must be from the lack of nutrients and constant loss of blood from the past few days.

Thor made sure the nosebleed stopped before continuing to push the wheelchair into the ever-growing darkness. Before, they could see the silhouettes of their friends dimly but this was complete darkness, darkness which envelops you, makes you feel like you're suffocating, and fills you with _fear_.

A piercing shriek rent through the darkness.

* * *

"Odin Allfather. War is upon Asgard." Tyr bowed deeply before straightening and making his report while looking the Allfather in the eye. "The cause of this is Loki. He has fallen between the realms, opened a path for the Chitauri and Thanos to access the Nine Realms, and now they intend to attack us and sow death among us. Thanos plans to make the Nine Realms an offering to his lady Death. Lady Death plans to win over Life, and to do that they will eradicate life completely. We must act."

Odin sighed, weary. "I banished him millennia ago to where he now resides, and now that accursed Eternal plans to return? I am not as young as I was then…no, Asgard is unprepared to take on a new enemy. Thanos is a magic user, and we have to fight fire with fire. However, his armies are well trained, and need a young and skilled fighter to take them down."

"Your Majesty…" Freyr put in. "What you mean is, you need the princes."

"Prince_s_?" Tyr raised an eyebrow. "As in plural? I understand why the Crown Prince is needed, he is a mighty warrior as well as adept with thunder, which can blast Thanos to smithereens, but-"

"_Prince_ Loki is one of the top sorcerers, if not the best, in the Nine Realms! Even the elves who specialize in magic and learn it without any peer pressure or whispers admit it! Can you just-"

Tyr sneered. "Why, you are of the elves, a weak race that depends on other worldly forces for survival. Of course you would speak up for magic and useless mind power. These are womanly arts. Can you just man up? Or elf up, I don't care what the phrase is in Alfheim."

Freyr turned bright red. "Do not insult the elves! We are more powerful than you think! Unless you need us to wage war on Asgard and prove it when we win-"

"ENOUGH!" Odin bellowed, slamming Gungnir onto the ground. "Enough." He repeated once more, sinking back into his throne. "We shall not have inner respites at this time when the Nine Realms should unite as one to defeat this threat. Tyr, magic has their uses. Freyr, you must admit that Tyr has a point-"

"And they call you the God of Wisdom." Freyr snarled, raising his hands to cast a teleportation spell. "It turns out that you are just as ignorant as the others. Very well. You shall not have any magical aid during your war with Thanos. Let's see how long you stand against him then."

Freyr disappeared in a flash of blinding golden light, leaving Odin and Tyr staring at the spot where he had been standing, still not understanding why the fuss.

Back in Alfheim, the elves retreated respectfully as their king strode purposefully towards the palace, fuming, trailing a path of golden light behind him. An elf princess sighed and waved her hand, cleaning up the remnants of the teleportation spell. Her brother could be so messy sometimes, a side effect of the dramatic magic lights he loved so.

Freya was waiting at the palace for her lord. "What is it, my King? How has the treaty with Asgard been going?"

"Worse and worse." Freyr fumed, tossing his cloak aside.

"What happened?" She asked tenderly, picking up the cloak and folding it up. The servants would clean it later.

"The _fools_ refuse to acknowledge the importance of magic to them. I have told them that Alfheim shall lend them no magical aid during their war with Thanos. Let's see how long they would last without their so called _womanly arts_."

"I'm guessing that Tyr said something foolish and Odin backed him up." The elf princess entered the hall, tossing a ball of golden light to Freyr. Freyr caught it and absorbed it back into his body sheepishly.

"Now, now, Edwenlas, I know that you are brilliant but you surely cannot see the past."

"I scryed you when you were arguing with Odin and Tyr. They don't even bother to put magical wards on the palace."

Freyr rolled his eyes and gestured wildly at Freya. "See? That is how undervalued magic is there. They don't even try to protect themselves with magic. The fools…" He trailed off, still muttering under his breath. "Well, they will see."

"They will see." Freya agreed, eyes shining with determination. "Womanly arts are _not_ weak and magic is open to all."

* * *

Thor had no choice but to tighten his grip on the wheelchair and ran.

He ran nonstop, chest heaving with each breath and leg muscles pumping furiously. The scream continued, and it seemed to come from all around him, a high pitched shriek, never seeming to stop. He tried to touch Loki, but felt Loki jerking away. Hurt and confused, Thor could only continue to run and hope that his Avenger friends would catch up.

He didn't know how long he ran. It could have been mere seconds, or it could be years and years.

At long last, he finally saw light and burst towards it, collapsing on the ground as they finally met sunlight. Wonderful, warm sunlight.

The screaming stopped immediately.

Thor rubbed his ears, grateful to finally be rid of that awful noise.

"Brother?"

Then Thor gasped in horror as he saw the front of Loki's green tunic splattered with blood and blue gunk, Loki's head lolling lifelessly by his side.

"Brother!"

* * *

"Agent Clint Barton and Agent Natasha Romanova, the council would see you now." Director Fury said as he stepped out from the door of the room where he used to chat with the 'powers of the world'. Usually he would either emerge triumphant (which meant that the council had accepted his decision) or furious (living to his name when the council refused to follow his well meaning advice.). But this time, there was a defeated air about him. "I am truly sorry."

Looking at each other, and taking in Fury's body language, the two spies knew that this meeting probably wasn't going to end well for them.

"Hey, love you, Tasha." Clint squeezed Natasha's hand. He had always been more expressive at emotions than Natasha, but it doesn't mean that Clint would go around saying, "Love you," at every turn.

To his surprise, Natasha whispered to him as they entered the room and let go of each other's hands. "Love you too."

Their fate was now in the council's hands.

_Greetings, Agent Barton and Agent Romanova._ The woman in the middle spoke first. _So this is what the top spies of S.H.I.E.L.D look like. Very well. What information do you have?_

"What information do you want?" Natasha crossed her arms, staring defiantly into the cameras they knew were hidden in the corner.

The man on the right spoke. _We have heard from Director Fury that you have aided and concealed a known terrorist which goes by the name of Loki of Asgard. Is that true?_

"False." Clint spoke with confidence. He had to, if he wanted to convince them by twisting truths into lies and lies into truths. Geez, he was going to turn into Loki at this rate. "We have aided no terrorist." Well, he didn't consider Loki a real terrorist anyway.

_Have you aided Loki Odinson?_ The council was growing frustrated. Clint and Natasha were holding up them.

"False." Loki doesn't consider himself an Odinson.

_Have you aided the person who tried to destroy half of New York?_

"False." Clint didn't know how long they could go before the lie detector picked up. There must be one. The council would have one. Technically, Loki was aiming for the destruction of the entire Earth.

_Where is Anthony Edward Stark?_

Natasha blinked. That was unexpected. It was a common interrogating technique to suddenly throw an unexpected question at the victim and observe his or her reaction to it. That few seconds can give away a lot. Natasha cursed herself for falling victim to her own tactics. "He is where he always is." Well, as far as she knew, Tony's soul should still be in his body.

_Enough with the vague answers. _The woman snapped. _Give us straight answers._

"We do not know." Clint said. They really did not know, after all.

The screens suddenly all flickered off, and the two assassins instinctively crouched and moved a little, so that the two of them couldn't be shot at the same time. They did not speak, as their voices would have given their position away in the darkness.

All of a sudden, two strong hands grabbed Clint, and he fought back, landing a kick in the groin, but his opponent didn't even as much as flinch. Clint landed a punch in the chest, which elicited a grunt of pain, giving the attacker's gender away-it was a she. Clint's ears could pick up faint sounds of a scuffle from where Natasha should be, and swiftly dealt a blow to where the head should have been, but his fist passed through and he realized in horror that his opponent was shorter than he had imagined. That move cost him, and the attacker made use of Clint's momentum to flip him onto his back and pin him to the floor.

Hand to hand combat was never Clint's domain.

Natasha lasted three minutes longer, and some signal must have been given once they were subdued, and the room flooded with light.

Kneeling on Clint's chest was a Chinese lady, slim but muscular. She looked to be a head shorter than Clint, probably because of her Asian blood. Asians were generally shorter than Westerners.

Natasha didn't look pleased as the towering Indian man picked her up with one arm, and made it as hard as possible for him to carry her out of the conference room. The Chinese lady used the easier way-holding a gun to Clint's head and binding his hands. Clint walked out on his own feet, the uncomfortable cold barrel nearly making a permanent dent in the back of his head.

They were doomed.


	7. The Frost of Jotunheim

_**From now on I will be alternating between scenes with Loki and the gang, Midgard, Asgard and Alfheim, just cause Alfheim plays a major role of making Asgard realize the importance of magic and to not look down on women. Loki may spend two or three chapters stuck in Jotunheim before reaching the Norns since the different scenes will keep dragging this out.**_

_**Oh, and I will try to give Thanos, Death and the Other a personality, as in they have a reason to be evil. But there is no redemption for them.**_

_**One more announcement/question, what do you think of my OC, Edwenlas? If you like her then she will appear in future fics, but if you don't, I will avoid mentioning her in the future. I really hope she isn't a Mary Sue. I fail to understand the exact definition of a Mary Sue. Just so that you can give your opinions, in this chapter I present a special conversation between Edwenlas and Freyr!**_

* * *

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**CinqLuna: Go ahead and punch Odin. Give him a slap for me while you're at it. XD**_

_**LokiisAwesome: Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

_**Justme (Guest): Well, when you put the assassin thingy that way…I must admit that it sounds like a joke. A bad one, at that. Wow, I didn't think that dads could be strict in Western countries too. We are like, best buds already. Thanks for taking all the trouble to type up and search for those stories for me, I'm really grateful! I'm reading the Solstice trilogy now, but my reading and updates will go slower because, well, my exams are only two weeks away. After that it's the holidays and I'll probably go off holidaying somewhere so…anyway, thanks again! I don't know whether I can do much in return, apart from dedicating this chapter to you and recommending Takada Saiko and Gabrielle Days' stories. They write together, and the series is found on Takada Saiko's fanfiction page. This series was actually inspired by them, but I gradually leaned towards With Friends Like This later on.**_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter 7: The Frost of Jotunheim_

_This chapter is dedicated to Justme, a regular reviewer that cheers me up on the coldest of days._

* * *

Thor sat by the fire, stirring the coals glumly as the frigid winds blew around them. Steve sat beside him, trying to cheer the big guy up, while Bruce was tending to Loki who was now slumped in the wheelchair with his eyes closed and skin a deathly pallor. Tony was just generally irritating anyone who would listen.

"-Rock of Ages screaming, you know. Like, even worse than the White Witch when Aslan killed her. Hey, Loki even kinda looks like the White Witch, same skin and frosty magic. Ooh, he could be her brother or something, she was a queen too-" Tony was rambling. Steve sent the billionaire playboy philanthropist genius-he didn't really care what order those words went in now-a death glare and returned to lightening Thor's mood by passing him another marshmallow.

Thor consumed it quickly, but still stared moodily at the fire as the ice above started to melt, nearly putting it out.

"Come on, Thor, Loki will be okay. Loki needs you to care for him, not to brood around like this." Steve tried again, and when Thor still remained unresponsive he sighed and gave up.

"Thor will come around in his own time, don't rush him." Bruce said, finally finishing Loki's cleaning up and checking for signs of a fever. Not that there was much he could do if there was one.

It turned out that there was one, but not very high nor dangerous. If Loki had been in his normal state, he would have shrugged it off in a few hours, but in his current fragile and vulnerable condition, even such a fever could be deadly for him. Bruce collected some of the dripping water and wet a cloth with it, placing it on Loki's sweltering forehead, hoping that the cold could help him. Loki stirred a little at the cool sensation and his eyelids fluttered open. He coughed, but the wheelchair managed to keep his front from getting dirtied by whipping out a bucket at lightning speed. Bruce checked it before it was retracted to whatever dimensional space it had come from, and his brows furrowed as he noticed that there was more blood and less blue gunk.

"To-Thor?"

Thor seemed to stir at the sound of his name being uttered by his baby brother.

Steve knelt down in front of Loki. "Hey there. How many fingers am I holding up?"

Loki huffed an irritated breath. "I'm not so weak that even my vision is affected!"

"Well, with that we can be sure that Reindeer Games is back to normal." Tony grinned, tossing Loki a phone. "Wanna finish our hacking game? Believe it or not, there is actually Wi-Fi here. Thanks to my super satellites, of course, that JARVIS can have a connection here."

"Tony…Loki needs rest, he needs to sleep properly, he needs to eat at least something. Don't tax him out."

Loki ended Bruce's argument by catching the Starkphone with one thin, blue arm. Bruce sighed. "Fine, half an hour. No continuing, no cheating, no-"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, mother." Tony rolled his eyes at Bruce, then stared, horrified as the few precious seconds gave Loki time to edit JARVIS's settings again. "Loki, I swear, if you turn my baby into a drunkard again, you'll pay. JARVIS is still under eighteen!"

Steve repressed a snort.

"Loki's under eighteen too, doofus." Steve jabbed Tony's head.

_Anthony Edward Stark! _

Tony jumped as JARVIS suddenly spoke. He groaned and banged his head against the cave wall. "LOKI! I finally get away from Pepper's nagging and now you somehow rewrite JARVIS's code into Pepper's personality?!"

Loki cackled, tossing the phone back to him, ignoring the flecks of blood that stained his fresh tunic. "That's what you get…Stark."

"Loki is not called the God of Mischief for nothing, Tony." Steve grinned, finally able to flaunt his knowledge of Norse mythology, no matter how little that was. "Once he cut Sif's hair off and when it grew back it was black, not golden like it originally was."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "You have that myth?"

"Yes, some of them sound totally crazy, but it turned out that even the one with mini Rock of Ages is true." Tony quipped, having reset JARVIS back to its normal, polite, albeit a little snarky, personality.

"So…" Steve asked hesitantly. "The one with Narfi and Vali…the serpent…was it true?"

Loki's face darkened. "Yes."

They sat in silence for the rest of the night, not even bothering to choose an unfortunate soul to take watch, and eventually all of them dozed off.

* * *

"Odin Allfather." The Other hissed, not even taking the pain to bow before his would-be-prisoner. "I trust that you have been informed of our activity despite the absence of your youngest prince?"

"I have." Odin clenched his fists. The Other smirked. Even without weapons, the Allfather still saw him as a threat.

"Speaking of your wayward son, he has been quite entertaining in the brief time Thanos and Death had him. The Chitauri also toyed with him while refining their…ah, fighting techniques. We would love to take him back again, after the Nine Realms have been burnt as an offering to Death and she finally triumphs over Life." The Other grinned maliciously. His master had promised him blood and death. Screams and pleas. Oh, what a pleasure it would be to listen to others beg for mercy in turn, when centuries before it had been the Other himself begging for mercy from-

The Other cleared all thoughts out of his head. It would do him no good to dwell on the past. He noticed that the Allfather bit his lip at that, probably in guilt that he had wrongly punished his son, and smirked again. Guilt, such a ravishing feeling. The Other had long been incapable of feeling guilt, since Thanos had punished him for feeling guilt.

"What do you want?" Odin ground out through clenched teeth. "What do you want, so that the Nine Realms may escape your greed?"

The Other twisted his face into a sickening smile. "We want the Nine Realms to burn. We wish for Death to triumph. If you aid us, you may yet outlive your ill fated sons."

"_Never_."

"Then you seal your fate." The Other turned and left the room, but not before casting a few silent scrying spells. Now no matter the enchantments Queen Frigga would undoubtedly place on the palace-the Queen had always been cautious, and wisely so-Thanos could scry the Asgardians whenever he pleased. Not that he would need to overhear their plans to win them.

The Nine Realms in this dimension _will_ fall.

* * *

"My Lord, please think this through. If Asgard falls, then the remaining Eight Realms will fall too. The Nine Realms need to be united if we want to triumph over Thanos and Death. Alfheim cannot isolate itself from the others!" Freya argued, following Freyr through the corridors.

"We're not isolating ourselves from the other realms. We're only refusing Asgard magical aid." Freyr threw open the balcony doors, letting the night air blow in. "When they finally realize that they will fail without magic, Alfheim will come to their aid. I only wish to reeducate them, but unless that lesson is taught in war or battle they will never remember it. I do not wish for more brilliant sorcerers such as Prince Loki to be wasted as a result of their ignorance."

"But you should not sacrifice the Nine Realms for this. Teach them the lesson when less is at stake." Freya tried again. Really, sometimes Freyr could be as stubborn as Edwenlas.

"The lesson will not truly sink in if something lesser were at stake." Freyr said firmly. And with that, the discussion was closed.

Freya retreated to her rooms, silently fuming. Can't Freyr just put down his pride for a moment? They could all perish in fire and water!

Meanwhile, Freyr looked up to the two brightly shining moons, smiling as he felt another presence beside him, silently joining him in his vigil. "You have come here to chide me, then?" He asked softly. "Well, Freya has already done that in your stead."

Edwenlas smiled, raising a hand towards the moons, silvery magic flowing from her short but slender and white fingers. "I have come to declare that I agree with your opinion. After all, when Prince Loki visited, the two of us were the ones that took him adventuring all around Alfheim and shared our experiences and knowledge of magic. We all improved with that. It is natural that we want to avenge him."

"You speak as if he were dead." Freyr murmured. "We must have hope."

Edwenlas turned to look at him, and her eyes, black as midnight, burned into him. "Hope I will have when I see the prince for myself, alive and well."

"You will." Freyr said with determination, turning to leave the balcony. The cold air was starting to freeze him.

"I will hold you to that." Edwenlas called after him.

Freyr didn't turn back. "You don't have to."

* * *

_**...I know, I know, this chapter is shorter than most, but seriously, exams are just around the corner, and this is the most I can give you until…I dunno, mid-June? Maybe July. I will see whether I can sneak in a few chapters during that time. Thanks for your understanding!**_

_**Yours, **_

_**Crystal Di Angelo.**_


	8. The War of Asgard

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**Justme (Guest): Oh wow, this list is going to keep me busy for a loooooooooong time. I love the Solstice trilogy, it keeps Draco in character but also gives us LOTS of Draco angst. If I haven't mentioned it before, my only surviving favorite character in HP is Draco. Thanks for the rest of the recommendations, I definitely won't be bored when the holidays roll around and I'm stuck with only a Nook Reader while traveling! I write on the computer, since my Nook ALWAYS crashes when you use it for something other than reading. About the Mary Sues, well, as far as I know, they are really perfect, weird, super freaky girls which are obsessed with book/movie characters. o.O I live in Southeast Asia, Peninsular Malaysia. I'm Chinese though, not Malay. Homeschool sounds cool. I know a couple people who are homeschooled and they mostly end up REALLY smart.**_

_**Gammawidow: Thanks for your lovely reviews! I will consider making Bruce Hulk when he meets Odin. Okay, scratch that, I'm definitely letting the Hulk out. A good beating from the Hulk was what it took to knock Loki back into Loki, so I guess that a beating would do Odin good as well. Freyr will participate in beating Odin as well, though he won't be as ruthless as the Hulk. Thanks for your suggestion!**_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter 8: The War of Asgard_

* * *

_Song of the Chapter_

_Yesterday I died_

_Tomorrow's bleeding_

_Fall into your sunlight_

_And finding answers_

_Is forgetting all those questions we called home_

_Somehow_

_Sundown_

_ www. / youtube. com watch?v=MgEJjqU 9rcw_

_Watch it. I bet you will cry._

* * *

Loki was the first to wake the next morning. Tied up.

_What the-_Loki tried to say, but his mouth was stuffed with a wad of cloth that made him instinctively want to gag and throw up. Of course that triggered the poison, and Loki saw nothing but black spots for a while as he had to swallow the repulsive thing back down again. What he didn't expect was his body won't just take back what it had rejected. His stomach started to burn and Loki squeezed his eyes shut in pain, desperately trying to stop the tears from leaking out. He couldn't afford to cry, to show weakness.

_Damn it, what is going on? _That was Tony's first thought when the world finally decided to introduce itself to Tony. He was gagged too, and that annoyed Tony a lot. What would he have loved to say was, _Hey, who are you to think that you could tie the great Tony Stark up?! Hey, don't mess with me, bro. Are you an Orc, by the way?_

Unfortunately, that stupid piece of cloth won't allow him that privilege. Honestly, couldn't it be something more dignifying than a piece of cloth, if they really had to shut him up? Wait, was he even that annoying? Probably it was Steve that got up in the middle of the night and trussed him up like a turkey. But no, Tony could spot Steve tied up out of the corner of his eye, still passed out. He smirked inwardly. Apparently the super soldier was even later than Tony to rise. Casting a glance around the empty cave, Tony was frustrated to see even Bruce tied up directly in front of him. Thor and Loki should be behind him. Twisting and turning, deliberately making as much noise as possible to wake Steve up (and annoy him), Tony finally got on his back, and with one huge effort, he completely twisted over to find that he was face to face with a very pale Loki, eyes squeezed shut and breathing heavy. Their noses were barely inches apart. Inwardly yelping, Tony actually managed to jump sideways while lying on his side. When that invoked no response from Loki, Tony grew worried, and inched himself upwards so that his hands could touch Loki's face. He spotted the God of Thunder at the back of the cave, somehow still managing to snore a little despite the gag shoved in his mouth.

Tony managed to get a firm grip on the wad of cloth, and twisted his body, yanking it out of Loki's mouth. Loki's reaction was instantaneous. He barely opened his mouth before blue liquid and blood mixed together flowed out of his open mouth, as Loki gasped for air. Apparently only his brother's distressed sounds could wake Thor. Thor broke the ropes easily and stormed over to Loki, not caring about their current situation, occupied with making sure his little fragile brother was alright.

"Get off me, you oaf…" Loki weakly shoved Thor away once his bonds were broken and Thor wrapped him in a bear hug. "You should be on your guard for whoever tied us up. Maybe they're preparing to eat us up later."

Thor looked alarmed, instantly summoning Mjolnir to his right hand and throwing it at the cave entrance. Loki pinched his nose in frustration. "Look, Thor, be careful with that for heaven's sake. Mjolnir might just bring the whole mountain down on us."

Thor grinned sheepishly but that air of wariness still remained. "Brother, you need not worry about our captors, I will slay those Frost Giants if they ever come within sight of us! They shall not touch a hair of you or our shield brothers! Those monstrous beings will regret the day they decided to trifle with…"

Thor's speech continued, but Tony noted with a sinking heart that Loki was turning paler with every word, if that was even possible.

"Thor." Bruce sent the crown prince a warning look, but Thor was too excited to hear Bruce's warning tone.

"Of course, their blood shall not even taint the ground that we shall walk on. I will make their deaths swift and quick, much more than they deserve." Thor ranted on.

"Thor!" Steve tried again, tone scandalous. Even the Soldier out of Time had caught on, but Thor was still as blunt as…well, Thor.

"Hey there, Point Break," Tony tried to cut in. What would get Thor's attention? War? Fighting? That doesn't sound good for the current topic. Ah, that's it. "Does Jane know you're here? It just occurred to me suddenly. Knowing you, she would be worrying half to death about her alien Disney Prince."

Thor blinked, stopped mid rant. Bruce looked gratefully at Tony and Steve sent him a nod. "What is this Disney Prince you speak of?"

"Oh, I forgot that you're culturally backwards. Maybe next time I'll introduce you to the wonders and open-mindness of Midgard, even if Capsicle over there won't like the latter." Tony grinned. "Or I could start now. JARVIS, still there?"

"Hey!" Steve protested, just to draw Thor's attention away from Loki. "Well, at least, do what you want, but Thor, I warn you, those are not going to be pretty."

Thor looked even more confused. "Does Friend Stark refer to the woman of Midgard? The maidens are quite pretty, Captain. I do not understand."

That only made Tony's grin even wider as he struggled not to look at Loki. "That's it. I'll get Thor lots of porn. If only just to make Cap freak out."

Meanwhile, Bruce was taking advantage of the distraction to quietly make his way over to Loki, who was still frozen with shock in the corner. "Hey there, Reindeer Games. I never liked Tony's nicknames but I figure that it'll sound more…friendly."

Loki's eyes flicked towards Bruce, but gave no other response.

"Well, Thor didn't mean what he said. You were educated by your Father that Frost Giants were monsters for your entire childhood and most of your adolescence, so you can't expect a change overnight. Honestly, I would like to Hulk out on Odin. Never mind the title Allfather, you and I both know that he doesn't deserve it, to feed lies to his children."

Loki let out a choked sob. "But…Why?"

"We don't know. We can only assume that Odin fears that his people will revolt if he tries to reeducate them, or he himself is too foolish to see the truth." Bruce rubbed Loki's back gently. He knew that the god needed some contact right now, but this was what Bruce could do without intruding in Loki's private space.

Loki coughed a little, dirtying the front of his clean tunic again, but Bruce didn't care. After five more minutes of getting himself under control, he managed to choke out two words.

"Thank…thank you."

"You're welcome. That's what friends do." Bruce smiled warmly at him. Tony was still doing a good job of distracting Thor, though they might have to brainwash Steve later.

"Friends." Loki repeated the word, as if in wonder. That settled the matter. The moment Bruce stepped foot on Asgard, he was going to introduce Odin to the Hulk. The whole of Asgard, preferably, and then smash them so hard that they get memory loss, and reeducate them completely.

"Friends." Bruce confirmed again. "And you know what friends do?"

Loki looked up quizzically at him, wiping away flecks of blood from his mouth.

Bruce leaned close, whispering, "We prank big brothers."

And a devilish grin spread over Loki's face.

* * *

"That was most…refreshing, Friend Stark." Thor said, struggling not to faint from the overload of information, and since it came from Tony Stark, information that only geniuses can fully comprehend. "I beg of you now to give me a reprieve on the most interesting history of Midgard between my brother and King Arthur. I require rest."

"Whoa, wait." Tony said, blinking his eyes, ignoring Steve, who was yawning very obviously by now. "Do you mean that Merlin was actually Loki going by a different name?!"

"Yes." Thor said, unconcerned. "Loki has visited Midgard frequently before…before. He goes by many different names and forms, Merlin, Jack O'Kent, Taliesin Europe and so many others that I do not remember. Does it matter?"

Tony collapsed to the ground dramatically. "Childhood ruined." He moaned at Steve, who simply rolled his eyes. "Hey, who knew that Reindeer Games was actually my favorite wizard, second only to Harry Potter?"

Tony let his gaze slide over to Bruce discreetly, and Bruce gave him the thumbs up. "Well, okay, have your rest then. I don't think I will be able to continue. Maybe the next thing I'll find out is that the Bermuda Triangle is actually one of Loki's pranks."

"Actually, that is. I transported them all to Niffleheim, since that place was lacking in population and you mortals are the most adaptable compared to the other species." Loki replied smoothly, walking out from the shadows, startling Steve. Thor, however, seemed accustomed to these sudden appearances and just bellowed, "Brother, am I glad to see you up and about again! Tomorrow we go and hunt down our captors!"

Loki stiffened a little, but remembering Bruce's kind words relaxed again. "All right, just don't go risking your stupid neck. I wonder how long you can survive without me by your side? I would wager ten minutes."

"Three minutes." Bruce jumped in.

"Nah." Tony snorted. "I'll put in twenty seconds. Hey, Cap, keep track of Thor during the battle, okay? I think that you're the only one that can keep up with him on ground. Jolly Green would be too busy smashing to notice anyway."

Thor looked a little offended, but didn't say anything more about it, considering that he was happy that Loki had regained enough strength to jape, even if it was at his offense. Wait, had Thor's speech about Frost Giants offended Loki? He dearly hoped not.

"Brother, I would like to apologize." Thor blurted out. He just wouldn't feel comfortable without telling his brother that.

"Whatever for?" Loki asked, curious, though he'd guessed.

"Well, for…discriminating the Frost Giants like that." Thor mumbled.

Loki grinned. It was a rare event that Thor would apologize to him. "Sorry, what was that that you said?"

The rest of them just stifled laughs.

"I said that I was sorry for discriminating the Frost Giants like that." Thor said, louder this time.

"Well, Thor, brother dear, the Frost Giants do have a proper name." Loki started, loving the uncomfortable look on his brother's face. "And discriminating does seem too big a word for you to know."

Tony snorted, but thankfully Thor ignored him. Had it been the Thor before he had been banished to Earth, Tony would already be kissing the ground with Mjolnir on his back when he'd rather be kissing another pretty girl.

Thor did turn scarlet, though, and for a moment Bruce feared for Loki's safety until the air seemed to be let out of Thor, the big guy slumping and admitting, "Well, Jotunn does sound nicer and more civilized."

"Well, congratulations. Now how about we get some real rest without being tied up?" Steve cut in, shooing everyone to bed despite the fact that they had just woken up a few hours before. "I'm sure Loki needs the rest."

"I'm not an invalid!" Loki protested, but allowed Thor to tuck him in.

Thor let out a bellowing laugh. "I'm sure you're not, little brother. Now go to sleep. I will stand watch."

Loki dozed off, happy that he had finally found solace, for the time being.

Oh, and he couldn't wait for Thor to discover his little prank when/if they got back to Midgard. Bruce promised to help him set it up, and the idea was Loki's, after all.

* * *

"Know this, Odin Borson," Thanos stated, a lone, tall figure standing before the city walls, blocking out the sun and casting a massive shadow over Asgard. Odin stood before him on a balcony within the city walls, seeming small and weak in comparison. "You will lose. The Nine Realms _will_ burn. This is the last chance I am giving you to surrender before the fight. No matter what path you take, you still lose. Is it not better to save your strength and lay down your arms before me?"

"Not fighting dooms us all; if we fight, we still stand a chance, no matter how small." Odin did his best not to be cowed by Thanos. The Titan emitted raw power, intimidating and powerful, Odin recognized a hopeless cause when he saw one, but he would not go down without a fight. "I refuse your offer."

Thanos smiled coldly. Apparently he had expected this. "Then let the War of Asgard begin."

* * *

_**Tada~There you go, brotherly fluff. Next chapter will contain more action. **_

_**Sneak preview: Thor hunts down the attackers, but they are not what they seem. War starts and Asgard is holding its own…but at a grievous price. Guess who I'm killing off this time. Kudos to the one who guesses right! Alfheim still refuses to aid Asgard, and Loki meets the Norns…**_

_**That is going to be the last chapter for this story, then I will start another in the same series. That will focus more on the war on Asgard and Loki and Bruce's prank will be revealed...**_


	9. The Magic of Alfheim

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**CinqLuna: Well, they will. Remember that their only way of getting back is through Skuld, the youngest sister and she only travels to places where there's war? She'll drop them off in Asgard if she's feeling kind enough.**_

_**LokiisAwesome: Well, I checked out your stories. I'm kind of really canon so I skipped over the stories with an OC or those with romance because I just can't stand sappy stuff between lovers…yet. Trust me, I'm still growing. However, those that I did read I left a review. Thanks, I'm really honored! And kudos for guessing one dead person right!**_

_**Gammawindow67: Request accepted. I was originally going to write Bruce in control, but once I read your suggestion an idea just popped into my head, like, it could imply that things are really bad in Asgard if even the Hulk feels it is wrong. Plus, I like the Hulk's way of speaking. XD**_

_**Justme (Guest): I'm not talking about the IQ, actually, I think that they are more open minded and are more creative than others. Yes, English is my second language, but I'm luckier than my other friends because my family is quite Westernized (in thinking, not language) and they constantly recommend books or movies to me, so I learn English from the books. Oh wow, that crossover fic sounds fun! But I can't find it on Google, has it been taken down? And hey, I don't mind the Spanish lesson, but I assure you, it has nothing to do with Leo Valdez being Spanish, even though he's my second favorite character. Yes, my eyeballs nearly popped out when I saw that Snape's cat was named Loki! I was like, what, Thor hadn't even came out then, how did the author know that Loki was a cat type of person? Apparently everything about Loki screams 'cat', even his name. XD**_

* * *

_Salty Ice Crystals_

_Time_

_Chapter Nine: The Magic of Alfheim_

* * *

"Brother, you should not be coming!" Thor protested for the umpteenth time as Tony pushed Loki's wheelchair into the sleet and snow.

Loki sighed in exasperation, pinching his nose to stop yet another nosebleed as Bruce and Steve emerged from the cave, carrying all their things. "You forget, brother, that even if you wanted to hunt down our attackers, it would be near impossible as you can only walk through that special path that leads to the base of Yggdrasil, remember? Our attackers have mostly likely already wandered off the path. Besides, I couldn't let you go careening off to the Norns on your own. We are close, I can sense it."

"Yeah, yeah, Sauron, the One Ring is close." Tony rolled his eyes. "Can we just get moving? I don't want to stand in this cold any longer."

Thankfully, Steve and Thor had learned their lesson and kept their mouths shut about the reference to avoid another lecture on modern day entertainment and technology from Tony. Bruce merely smiled and handed out more cloaks and jackets to wrap themselves in.

"Fine, brother, but please hide yourself when the Frost-Jo-our captors appear." Thor finally settled on the undetermined term.

"Do you think me weak?" Loki demanded, but grudgingly promised. "But fine. Just do not get your empty brains dashed out."

Thor beamed. "I will not, brother!"

The next second he had slipped on a stray patch of ice, which turned out to be part of a lake that the snow hadn't covered, and flailing wildly, fell headfirst onto the ground.

"Ow," he groaned, slowly sitting up.

Even Steve had to struggle to hide his laughter.

But the humor of it did not last long.

"THOR!" Loki yelled, diving out of the wheelchair as the first crack was heard. "Get off the ice!"

Thor, panicking, dared not to move too much in case he shifted his weight onto an even weaker patch of the ice. "I am unable to see where is safe, Loki! Pardon me if it is a little difficult!"

"Loki!" Steve tried to grab hold of the god of mischief, who was now sliding on his stomach towards his brother, but dared not move too much himself. Loki was much lighter than him and could move a little more freely on the ice but Steve didn't have the same advantage.

"Well, I guess that Thor knows a little sarcasm, after all." Tony quipped, but Bruce ignored him as he watched Loki's progress on the fragile ice in concern.

"Brother, don't come too close! You may fall as well!" Thor howled over the wind as it began to pick up.

"Silly, we can't just leave you on the ice to rot for eternity! What do you want us to do, keep going even though there's a chance to save you?" Loki snapped, ending his sentence with a wet cough as he finally reached Thor's side. "There, too late."

"Brother…" Thor reached a concerned hand to Loki's face, but Loki slapped it away impatiently. "There is no time. Come. Follow me. I will test the ice as I go with magic."

"But brother…" Thor tried to protest again, but Loki had already started crawling back towards his frozen friends.

Loki sent flecks of green magic scattering over the area. Those that lit up blue were safe to step on, and those red meant that they were unsafe. The safety of it depends on how blue the color is.

As soon as the magic started to change color, Loki felt a sharp pain in his side. Hissing with the unexpected pain, Loki clutched his side, wanting to curl up into a ball, as if that could ward off the pain, nearly falling onto a patch of ice marked red. Black dots appeared in his vision as he tried to right himself again. The dark haired prince let out a soft moan, silently grateful for the snow swirling around so that the others couldn't see him.

"Brother?" He could faintly hear Thor calling out to him. Loki wanted oh so badly to just curl up on the ice and wait for the pain to ebb away, but it didn't show any signs of fading soon, and Thor needed him. That notion was just too wonderful for Loki to ignore, and he stumbled blindly back onto all fours, almost passing out from the dizzying pain as he dragged his body on, the pain seeming to increase with every inch he crawled.

Loki didn't notice the trail of blood he left behind him as he finally collapsed, head hitting a patch of ice marked with a scarlet red, the color of Thor's cape.

The ice cracked.

Thor's scream resounded through the realms as the snow cleared enough for him to see Loki's bloody body plunge into the frigid water.

* * *

"_Oppstår__, gylne __skjold. Sta opp, solv beskyttere. Sta opp, bronse krigere…" _Ten of the best magicians in Alfheim chanted, hands linked as different auras started to glow. Every aura was different, but somehow they all blended together to form three colors-gold, silver and bronze. The shield extended over all of Alfheim, enveloping every corner. Thanos will not be able to enter for quite a long time. The magicians released their hands, changing the previously gentle and steady pace of their chanting into a more ferocious one. "_Krig! Dod! Blod! Beskytte oss__fra disse__onder! Beskytte oss! Beskytte Alfheimr fra disse onder! Siedr, oppstar! Siedr, besvare__våre samtaler! Siedr, hjelpe dine__tjenerei__deres nød. Siedr, beskytte Alfheimr!_"

The spell had already gone on for ten days and nights, the magicians only pausing in their chant long enough to take whatever sustenance required. The spell was nearing its end. In truth, only three days were required for the making of this spell, but because it had to envelop an entire realm, two more days were added. The extra five days were to strengthen the spell so that even a Titan like Thanos would have difficulty breaking through it.

"_Beskytte Alfheimr._" The final words were uttered, and the glow died down, but a faint shimmering across the sky of Alfheim could still be seen.

Edwenlas walked over to Freyr, whose hands were still glowing golden. He was pale, but that was to be expected. Draining your magic for ten days in a row wasn't good for one's health. Edwenlas' resources of magic were even lower than Freyr, and she felt so exhausted that she was ready to just collapse onto her brother's lap and sleep there for all eternity. She felt ready to faint, to give in to the black dots appearing in her vision. Damn it, she really was weak.

"Hey." She could only muster enough strength to say one word of greeting to her brother before plopping down ungracefully onto the stone road beside him and leaning against the wall with a tired sigh.

"Hey yourself." Freyr muttered. A drain on his magic like this always made him cranky.

Despite their tiredness, they would speak of this event with pride after the war was over. After all, a deed like this had never been done before in the history of the Nine Realms. Gathering that much magic at once and constructing and strengthening a magical force field over an entire realm? Totally unheard of.

Even if they would like to lie there forever, they still had to drag themselves back to the palace, where Freya would be waiting with a hot meal and warm beds. Besides, it would be unbefitting of a King and a Princess to sit there on the streets. The rest of the magicians didn't look better, but at least they had mustered enough determination to disperse and go home.

A couch stopped beside the duo, the driver obviously recognizing them as royalty, and grateful for not having to walk the whole way back to the palace (they couldn't teleport now even if they wanted to) they gave the driver a generous tip before walking into the palace.

"Did it work?" Freya asked, towel in hand already. "You know, this won't be necessary if you allied yourself with As-"

"Another time, Freya." Freyr pushed her away, making a beeline straight for his bedroom. Edwenlas had already disappeared, probably having shot off at the first sight of her bedroom. Collapsing onto the soft pillows, sleep quickly took him.

Three of the ten magicians never awoke from their sleep.

* * *

The atmosphere was so tense that Sif doubted that even Thor's hammer could break it. The Asgardians had gathered just inside the golden barrier Heimdall had erected with the Bifrost, but each one of them knew deep in their hearts that it would not last long. No one moved nor spoke, and the silence rang as loud as a bell.

Sif and the Warriors Three stood in front of the army, with the King and Queen and the General Tyr. No one had protested against it, since their high birth, friendship with the crown prince and fighting skills were renowned throughout the realms.

"Great warriors of Asgard." Odin addressed his army. "I will not warp nor hide the truth from you. An Eternal, a Titan, is threatening the Nine Realms. All of you are well aware of Asgard's position as Protector of the Nine Realms, and therefore we shall fight with glory, honor, and valour, to defend the Nine Realms from this new threat!"

Usually the Allfather's speech would be met with great cheers and war cries, but this time the army was oddly silent. Odin looked around awkwardly before continuing. "The Queen will place enchantments around the city to defend ourselves along with some of this realm's best magicians."

Everyone knew that the realm's best magicians in reality only had a low magic threshold and knowledge of a few simple spells. Now only did they realize how much they had depended on Prince Loki. But it was of no great consequence to them. To them, magic was only another weapon to aid them, but not necessary. They trusted that they could do perfectly fine without magic.

"What of the other realms?" Hogun asked icily.

"Helheim is chaotic enough as it is." Each one of them knew that it was a lie. Loki's daughter had simply refused to offer any help after her father's less than kind treatment. Even before that, she had already hated Odin for banishing her and murdering her mother.

"Svartalfheim is uncooperative." Of course they would be, how could they not be when mere years before Asgard had wrecked havoc upon their planet?

"Muspelheim refuses to send aid." This one was blunt, but all of them knew that the Fire Giants only craved death and destruction, not to protect and defend.

"Jotunheim is out of the question." Not one of them was surprised by this. Why would the Jotunn help them, after they waged war on them, took away their only source of power, stole their heir, let their planet fall into ruins, then broke the treaty, after that murdered their king and tried to destroy them?

"Midgard is currently not advanced enough to send warriors." Now this was strange. They had heard that Prince Thor had grown fond of the Midgardians, and knowing their mighty prince, Midgard must have advanced more beyond anything. This could only mean that their Crown Prince has grown weak. This conclusion only served to weaken their spirits further.

"Vanaheim does not know war, and would only hinder us." The people of Vanaheim were known for their ways of peace, and were greatly scorned among the Asgardians.

"No one has yet been able to brave the cold and darkness of Niffleheim to find any inhabitants, if there are any." No one expected much from that either. Truth to be told, now all their hopes lay on Alfheim, even if that realm supported the use and learning of magic which they only considered as weak and womanly arts. But they needed the extra manpower if they were to hold their own against the yet unnamed Eternal. They could only hope that it was one of the weaker ones, not powerful ones such as Fryk, Thanos or Gheter.

"Alfheim…got into a disagreement with us. They refuse to extend their aid." Odin closed his eyes for a moment to avoid the penetrating stare his wife sent him.

An indignant roar went up from the Asgardian army, led by Volstagg. "THE ELVES WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

Fandral looked thoughtful for once, and Hogun asked in a neutral voice once again. "What is the nature of the disagreement?"

Odin avoided Frigga's gaze. "Magic."

An even louder uproar rose from the furious army. Rage was boiling through their every pore. How dare the elves refuse to aid them because of something as trivial as magic, how dare they put lives of Asgardians at risk because of magic?! The elves will surely regret this.

And all the while Frigga was glaring at the king of Asgard, who looked very much like an admonished child, and Frigga hadn't even opened her mouth yet.

"Our battle strategy-" he began again, but was interrupted as a volley of arrows flew over the city walls and impaled a few soldiers. Odin just managed to throw up a shield around himself and his wife in time to have the arrows clatter off three feet from his nose. The others, however, weren't so lucky. One arrow impaled Tyr in the leg, another in Volstagg's protruding belly and a third in…

"Lady Sif!" Frigga quickly crouched down, methodically working the arrow out of her heart, casting a silent spell to stop the bleeding as soon as it was out. A group of medics rushed to the lady warrior's side, but too late.

The baby girl that giggled at everything, the one that grew to become Thor's best playmate aside from his brother, the sullen teenage girl who swore that she would prove everyone wrong and become a warrior, the one who everyone thought Thor would marry someday-

Gone.

The army of Asgard roared, and poured out of the gates.

Ready to avenge the death of one of their own.

* * *

Natasha and Clint were officially screwed.

Locked in a cell, with no bed or bathroom, only a pail in the corner to do their business, they knew that it was only a matter of time before S.H.I.E.L.D thought of some way to make them talk. Not that there was much information they could get out of them, anyway. Firstly, the word of two spies/assassins that had been practiced at staying evasive and lying through their teeth their entire life wouldn't mean much, even if they told the truth. Secondly, they really had no knowledge on what was the current plan of the others. Thirdly, near to nothing could make them talk. They weren't the top agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. for nothing.

But the days passed, and the only contact they had with the outside world was food and water being shoved through a catflap installed in the door once a day, and Natasha's imagination had already conjured up a million ways the Council would use to get information.

And isolation was one of them, and it was the deadliest.

They had tried a dozen ways to unlock the door, and succeeded twice. The first time the Chinese lady standing outside had been able to subdue them again, using her height to its full advantage. The second time they listened for a change in the shift, and used the chance to escape. Sadly, they were in an unknown facility, passages twisting in unexpected ways. They ended up at the cell again, the result of bumping into the Indian man twenty minutes later.

They could only hope that help would arrive soon.

* * *

Loki felt as if he was suspended in…something. He won't call it liquid, nor was it gas, and it was definitely impossible to float in a solid. Cautiously, he opened his eyes.

The first sensation he felt was so pleasant that the first thought that came into Loki's head was that he wanted to stay there forever and he didn't care what it will take to achieve this. The next thought was that this could be a trap.

But no trap could ever be this nice, could it? All the sores and aches of his body had disappeared, and he felt as if he had no limitations. Loki felt like he could ride with the wind, splash along with the waves and fly along with the birds. He felt so light that it shouldn't even be possible. His hair didn't irritate him, and all the nausea had disappeared. He felt fresh and dry and oh so wonderful. Even without the strange poison, Loki had never felt like this before.

Loki pulled his thoughts back and observed his whereabouts as memories came back to him. He had fallen through the lake, he remembered, so logically he should be in the water unless something else happened in between, not in this strange place where one felt so free and happy despite that it was well, pure nothingness.

A light appeared in the distance, and normally Loki would have to squint a little while his eyes adjusted but to his delight and surprise, his eyes adjusted before he could even squint. This would be an advantage, especially because shining a light in your enemies' eyes unexpectedly was the favorite strategy if you were trying to disorient your enemy.

Loki tried to move, but to his horror found that he couldn't. Then he remembered. How could one move in the nothingness? There were no air molecules to shift, nothing for him to bounce his weight against to move.

If that was the case, how come the light in the distance was getting closer?

And logically, Loki shouldn't even exist in this space.

Was he dead?

_Greetings, esteemed mage. _The light got closer and Loki realized that it was actually a person. A woman, to be more precise, with long flowing golden hair, a silver circlet on her brow that only seemed to bring out the sunshine of her hair, a green simple dress and simple shoes. Flowers, whiter beyond anything Loki had seen before, were embroidered around the waistline of her dress. She was holding a plain brown jar made of earth, and in it, flowed sparkling waters that seemed to have a life of its own, splashing and rippling merrily of its own accord.

_The Lady Urdr!_ Loki suddenly realized. He suddenly felt the need to kneel before this legend. Proud entity he may be, but he still respected power and fate.

Damn the Fate-no, just, damn it, he couldn't move!

Urdr just smiled, all knowing and all forgiving. _What is past, is past, Loki Friggason. You need not dwell on it any longer. This is the only advice I can offer you before my sisters come. Know this. You cannot change what is past, but you may yet affect the future._

Stunned, Loki engraved the words into his memory. They meant more to him than anything ever could. What is past, is past. The unspoken message was _Forgive and Forget._

But could Loki do it?

But there was no time for Loki to muse on it any longer, for Vervandi shimmered into existence. Her wings shimmered with images of countless events that unfolded before Loki's eyes, events that were actually occurring right now somewhere in the Nine Realms. Loki somehow spotted an image of Sif falling to the ground with an arrow impaled in her heart before it was overtaken by the image of an army (most probably Asgardian) raising a mighty battle cry. Averting his most probably nonexistent eyes away from her wings, Loki took in the second Norn's appearance. She had chocolaty brown curls tumbling down her back, and her eyes swirled with a multitude of images, similar to Urdr, but hers focused more on the fiery and vibrant colors. Urdr's eyes had more calming colors, like blue and white. Vervandi's clothes also differed from her sister. Her clothes looked more modern looking, with red puffy sleeves and a white miniskirt that showed off her slim but athletic legs.

_What's up? I hear that you have come here to seek me out specifically. What do you need? _Vervandi asked, grinning with a flick of her beautiful wings, changing the scene. Thor was howling his grief out at the edge of the ice lake beside Loki's motionless body.

_I seek your help. To chase the darkness out of my body and mind._ Loki attempted to reply, but no sound came out of his mouth. The strangest thing about this immobility was, even though he couldn't move or talk, even flutter an eyelash, he felt freer than he ever had before. Loki couldn't understand this.

_Do not worry, I can hear the voice within your soul well. After all, even if you could speak in this form, there would be no air to transmit the sound waves anyway. Telekinesis is the best, don't you think? _Vervandi grinned, fluttering her wings again and touching a hand to something invisible to her right. The great trunk of Yggdrasil materialized as her slender hand made contact with it, the beautiful brown spreading all way to the top, and the branches became visible as the brown spread to them, and the Nine Realms were suddenly there, shining in all their respective glory.

But the most wondrous thing was that before, Loki could not see the silvery threads that wove around the great tree in the textbooks he and Thor used when they were younger. There were billions of them, warped and weaved around each other, so tightly that Loki doubted that even his magic would be able to pry them apart. Skuld was revealed to him, sitting between the enormous roots and intertwining thread after thread with each other.

Vervandi smiled at his awe and wonder. _The future has decreed that you are still needed, but there is no time. Your aid will be needed soon in the future, and much as we would like to reverse time on you as long as at least a few thousand years, reducing you to an age where things can yet be fixed, we cannot, for your magic would be diminished as well. The best we can do is to reverse time on you for a few years. I truly hope that that will be enough to fix you. Midgard may not be as technologically advanced as Asgard, but they are definitely more advanced in matters of the heart, and that is why Thor is so attracted to them. We will leave you with one memory of this encounter though._

Loki didn't expect things to progress so fast, and as Vervandi smiled at him, bringing her hand down in one sweeping motion he could only stare, and Loki knew no more, except for one voice echoing in his head.

_You cannot change what is past. But you may yet affect the future._

* * *

_**The end~**_

_**Of this particular arc, anyway, the next story will definitely be up later than usual. Most probably June. But maybe yet another miracle will happen and I will be updating before then. But there still remains the possibility of me getting banned from the computer if my exam results don't turn out good.**_

_**Ok, off with the negative talk. The next story will be named 'War'. You guessed it, Asgard's war. Alfheim will be back and S.H.I.E.L.D. is falling apart because of the Council and Natasha and Clint's fate remained undetermined. Did I miss anything else? Oh, Loki. They're going back to Asgard and Loki will get a big shock, I assure you. Time reversal means memory reversal as well. **_

_**Till then, guys…**_

_**Crystal di Angelo **_


End file.
